our cooking programme

From hand-made pastas to succulent sweets, the 7 Days in Calabria tour is centered around the unique culinary delights of the region. Experience timeless Calabrian cuisine through private cooking lessons, an inside look at traditional farming methods, hands-on food preparation and hearty Calabrian meals.

Calabrian cuisine is known throughout all of Italy as the most delectable. The local food is abundant, organic and carefully nurtured from seedling to serving. Nearly every element of their meals - from Tropean red onions and Sila mushrooms, to olive oils and pastas - is home grown or homemade. Therefore, every household is knowledgeable on climate and growing conditions. Since Calabrians grow their own organic fruits and vegetables, raise and cure their own meat and catch their own fish, each change of the season brings a whole new realm of recipes.

During the 7 Days in Calabria tour, you will observe ancient Calabrian growing and harvesting techniques and hand-pick several of your own ingredients. When the season is right, you can collect olives and sample the first drops of Calabria's precious extra virgin olive oil. You can see the region's famous Zibbibo grape and discover its many uses including sweet wine, fruit pies and jams.

Our cooking programme, designed to whet your appetite before thoroughly satisfying it, is led by Calabrian native Rosanna Di Marco. Born and raised in Capo Vaticano, Rosanna possesses a profound knowledge of the ancient ingredients, recipes, customs and folklore that are stirred into every tantalizing dish.

Rosanna teaches how the geography and history of the region shape the flavors of the food. The distinctive landscape lends itself to a flavorful merger of mountain and coastal cuisine. Greek, Arabic, French, and Spanish influences emerge in numerous regional recipes. Best of all, in Calabria, menus are incredibly localized: every town has its own culinary practices and secrets handed down and perfected from one generation to the next.

Provincial folklore and festivals also play an enormous role in food selection and preparation. As their ancestors before them, Calabrians still practise the ancient tradition of basing their menus on religious festivals and local, seasonal offerings. This assures that the Calabrian menu is in constant rotation.

Our programme was meticulously based on Rosanna's innate understanding of the delicate mixture of Calabrian legends and tasty ingredients in every dish. During your 7 Days in Calabria tour, you will get to observe authentic farming methods, sample Rosanna's fantastic cooking and learn how to do it yourself!

View the itinerary.