Many people would agree that one of the finest aspects of traveling is dining at local restaurants. But, food tourism is on the move to something much bigger—the ultimate gourmet experience, and the only way you can truly learn about a cuisine—is to take an international cooking class in its country of origin.

When you travel to Parma, Italy, you are actually taking a journey into centuries-old Italian culinary history. Next, when you cook food using the ingredients from that specific local, such as the only true Parmigiano Reggiano in the world (an aged Parmesan cheese) named after the province of Parma where it is produced, that is when food meets with art and the celebration of a country.

Discover Spain when harvesting Spanish olives, then making them into olive oil. Or, traveling to the home of Spain’s most popular sheep’s milk cheese “Manchego” made from the milk of sheep grazing on the plains of La Mancha, or sipping regional wines such as the famed sherries from Jerez and Montilla.

Imagine: after a hunt for rare black truffles in France and then a shopping excursion at a Parisian open-air market, learning traditional French culinary techniques and preparing your treasure in a Provençal farmhouse kitchen. Or, serving-up genuine Creole and Cajun recipes in New Orleans and then dining on the feast with Dixieland jazz in the background.

The following is a list of resources for your international culinary vacation. There are one-day “a la carte” workshops in many countries, or you can sign-up for a more intensive, longer course of several days.

http://www.TheInternationalKitchen.com
http://www.PatriciaWells.com
http://www.NewOrleansCookingExperience.com
http://www.ItalianCookeryCourse.com
http://www.Sazon.com
http://www.Tuscany-cooking-class.com
http://www.AlhambraTravel.com
http://UK.geocities.com/laculinaria

By Mara Rogers, editorial.