India Tourism is fast catching up to the new buzz of Cooking Holidays which is a brief vacation or a short trip where one can get a hands-on experience in cooking and learning about the local cuisine of the place as per a report in DNA by Shreya Badola.

Jacob Mathew organises group trips and gives the travellers a chance to prepare popular Kerala food including the complex curries as well as the simple juices.

“We ask the people about their interest and choice of foods, and begin with giving them a basic introduction and sample cooking lessons,” says Jacob.

However, it should not be confused for a cookery class, he asserts. “A cookery class is like just an instruction manual or a demo video. However, on a cooking holiday, we make sure that the person gets a more real experience by staying with the locals and eating and cooking together. For instance, I take these people to the local vegetable markets and give them an insight into the various kinds of spices and their usages as well. They are even allowed to pick up their own raw ingredients, making the experience holistic and healthy.”

Rishi, who runs an eco-tourism resort, explains that a lot of people prefer such set-ups. “Cooking is one of our activities at the resort. There is an open kitchen where people can cook under the guidance of the chef,” he says. Similar travels are being organised by Rashmi Sawant, where people can stay in cottages in villages, on the outskirts of Mumbai. “People want more than just sightseeing and going around doing touristy things,” she feels.

While cooking holidays is big in countries like France and Thailand, it is quite new and less known of in India. However it is fast catching up and is already a hit in places like Jaipur (Rajasthan), Cochin (Kerala) and Nilgiri (Tamil Nadu).