Cretan Flavors - Cooking Lessons in Heraklion - Small Group
5.0
8 Ratings

Embark on a culinary journey through the flavors of Crete with our Cretan Cuisine Tour. Learn to prepare authentic Greek recipes and indulge in healthy and delicious dishes. Join us now!

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Heraklion - Our first stop is visiting a 4th generation olive oil factory. Learn about the significance of olive oil in Cretan cooking. You might learn about different types of extra virgin olive oil, how to taste and appreciate them, and various ways to use them in cooking.

Next, we’ll explore the old windmills and take some photos of the panoramic view. For centuries, they have stood as guardians of the land, harnessing the power of the wind to grind grain and irrigate the fertile soil. Each windmill tells a story of hard work and perseverance, passed down through generations of farmers who have called this land home.

It’s time to cook. Start with an introduction to Cretan cuisine, its history, cultural significance, and the key ingredients used. Discuss the philosophy of Cretan cuisine, which emphasizes fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients and herbs. Expect to learn how to prepare iconic Cretan dishes such as dakos (rusk salad), Greek salad, gemista (stuffed vegetables), tzatziki, cheese and spinach pies etc.

Finally, sit down to enjoy the dishes you’ve prepared together, accompanied by Cretan wine and good company.

What's Included
  • Pick up and Drop off from your hotel/port/airport
  • Private transportation in Mercedes Benz Van
  • Professional English speaking Driver Guide
  • Cretan Wine
  • Dinner
  • Unlimited water and soft drinks
  • Coffee and Cretan raki
  • All fees and/or taxes
  • Liability Insurance
What's Not Included
  • Extra wines
Additional Information

During this small group tour (up to 7 people) we will take you on a culinary journey through some of the most iconic and delicious dishes of Crete.

On this tour, you’ll learn how to prepare some of the most delicious dishes of Cretan cuisine, such as Dakos, Tzatziki, Gemista: stuffed vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, or zucchini, filled with a mixture of rice, herbs, and sometimes ground meat and a delicious Cretan salad, made with juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, extra virgin olive oil, Feta Fournou (Feta in Oven) and cheese pies.

After our cooking lessons, we will sit down to enjoy our delicious creations, paired with local wines and traditional Cretan raki.
By the end of our tour, you’ll have gained a deeper appreciation for Cretan cuisine and its health benefits.
You’ll leave with new skills, recipes, and memories that will last a lifetime.
So come join us and let’s explore the delicious and healthy world of Cretan cuisine together!
“Kali orexi” Bon appetit

  • According to Greek law, people under 18 years old are not allowed to consume or be served alcoholic beverages.
  • Infant seats available on request
  • Vegetarian and Vegan options available - please let us know
  • If you have any food allergies or intolerances, please contact us to let us know
  • We highly advise against scheduling any reservation for dinner, there is enough food and drink
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(8 Ratings)
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Shirley_s
May 22, 2024
Fabulous Evening! - Making traditional recipes with Spyros and Anna was wonderful and fun. We felt like we were sharing a true cultural experience with hosts that were warm, fun-loving and filled with pride for their traditional delights and Crete in general. Pick up and drop off was seem less and Spyros is a great tour guide.
Review provided by Viator
Deborah_j
May 22, 2024
Memorable evening cooking! - Spending time with Spyros and his family in the kitchen of their village home. Hearing their stories, understanding their traditions. They shared their food and wine and embraced us. We appreciate all the beautiful memories and teaching us how to cook like a true Cretan!
Review provided by Viator
Cathi
Jan 12, 2024
You won’t regret it at all - the best - This tour was amazing. The company was very good at communicating with us and we always felt secure. I highly recommend them for any tour you choose but especially this one! Spyros was an excellent guide who recommended many things for us to try. Please use this company and enjoy Heraklion. They are the best!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C4493lwmb
Oct 19, 2023
Traditional Cretan food cooking lessons and tour! - This tour was the best part of our trip to Heraklion last month to celebrate my birthday! Our tour with Spyros has been amazing. He was an excellent multitasked driver/ tour guide for this tour. We were amazed by our stopover at the local Olive Oil press and enjoyed learning how to process and tasting their finest olive oil! We loved our local Cretan food cooking lessons and obviously eating them too at one local taverna on top of the hill with overlooking view. Our tummies were very full and enjoyed a lot a few shots of Raki. We then concluded the trip with a coffee stopover at a local village with one of the longest-running coffee shop in Crete and have met amazing people in this trip. Each place we visited made us feel home and well-taken cared. This trip felt really like a very personal tour and will always be one of our favourites! More power and all the best for your Spyros and your team!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
413annn
Sep 27, 2023
Fantastic tour - Mike is an entertaining and knowledgeable guide. The mini bus comfortable, cool and clean. The arrangements were easy to make and the trip ran on time. The olive press tour is interesting and informative. The windmills and plateau a visual contrast to the beach and popular town areas. The food preparation engrossing and the many dishes we ate were fabulous and delicious. We enjoyed learning about the ingredients, recipes, preparation and cooking methods. We stopped in a beautiful town square on the way back. Thank you so much for a fantastic trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
662cherinh
Jul 24, 2023
Excellent for the whole family - Spyros was the best! He picked us up even though we were staying a bit out of the way and he gave us lots of great facts and stories on the ride. We stopped for beautiful pictures and he catered to my children who are 10 and 12. The cooking lesson was interactive and so much fun for our 3 generational family. The food was absolutely unbeatable and the family service and atmosphere was phenomenal. Spyros took us for traditional coffee and answered all our family’s questions about the region and Cretan culture. You don’t want to miss this one!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
S5589yxmichaelr
Jul 7, 2023
Very awesome - Took the 5pm tour. He contacted and asked if we could come earlier because he wanted to give us more experience then what was scheduled we came 1600 and met him at the olive press where he did a tour of the process in making olive oil and was very informative. I really enjoyed this. We then left and took a tour up a steep mountain side to get to a quaint little town and stopping for mountain side photos before sunset we got to the the restaurant family owned and most amazing place I've seen in crete. A wedding venue style winery look with wood and high ceiling. We began a short cooking lesson and ate. The food was so much and very good we had the goat, stuffed cheese, Greek salad, grape leaves, fruit, and more. The food was fantastic and freshly picked from the owners garden. After we left we did a loop around the valley and saw a few towns and had some coffee from a local shop. It became late so we had to leave early because our flight was next morning. The host took us to get Greek yogurt and then we departed. Very good tour worth the time and money and it was a private tour. No problems what's so ever. He showed us how to identify herbs and pick them ourselves.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elisabethm1258
Apr 3, 2023
Learn how to make traditional Cretan Cuisine! Really recommend it! - This was the second tour I booked with "Tours in Heraklion". My friends and I really wanted to learn more about the Cretan Cuisine so we thought that it was a great idea to choose this Food Tour. Once again Spiro was amazing, very kind and he introduced us everyone from the Cooking Lesson. Everyone there was very friendly, welcoming and passionate about cooking! They took the time to explain us the cultural significance of each dish and the history. We all got to work as teams preparing all the ingredients. The food was delicious and we were blown away by how amazing everything tasted. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced cook you will definitely learn something new and have a great time with everyone! Thank you once again Spiros for an amazing and memorable experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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