Cretan Cooking Class in Kritsa by Private Cook

we had such a great experience with Maria in Kritsa. this honestly ended up being one of the highlights of our time in Crete. from the moment we arrived, she made us feel completely at home. the setting itself is beautiful and peaceful, and the entire experience felt very authentic, not touristy at all. Maria walked us through traditional Cretan recipes step by step, sharing not just how to cook them, but the history and meaning behind each dish. you can tell this is something she truly cares about. everything we made was incredible, and sitting down to enjoy the meal together at the end felt really special. it wasn’t just a cooking class… it felt like being welcomed into someone’s home and culture. if you’re looking for something real, personal, and memorable while in Crete, this is absolutely worth doing.

Lovely cooking class with Maria, we really felt like friends being hosted! We learned how to make great Greek dishes of our choosing from her menu.

An amazing afternoon, with Maria as an exceptional host at her magnificent location :) She went above and beyond to accommodate every request (as it was a surprise for my girlfriend), turning it into a great cooking class with lots of great food and conversations to take home with us in the end :)

I experieced Maria's cooking class twice: once by myself and the other with a friend. I could easily have gone again and again. This is the real deal. Authentic, hands on, set in a family olive grove surrounded by pomegranate, orange and lime trees. Maria is simply divine: a weatlh of information along with a kind and sincere spirit. I was able to choose the menu both times and unlike other cooking classes where you either observe a lot of cooking or are in a big group and just do a little chopping here and there, Maria's experience was full hands on. I really felt like i cooked the food and could take what I learned back home with me to wow my family and friends. This experience was also specific to Cretan food and that nuance-I loved learning the differences between general Greek food compared to Cretan food and culture. I take cooking classes all over the world because it immediately familiarizes yourself with the culture. This class was the absolute best I've taken. Do not miss this one. If you are seeking a personalized, authentic experience in a village contact Maria!

We had an absolutely perfect day today with Maria! Her cooking class is definitely great to learn all about traditional Greek dishes and everything surrounding it, but it is also so much more! We started out at her lovely family house between olive, Mandarine and pomegranate trees. We were welcomed with a traditional candy and started out by a tour around her farm where we were able to taste and experience olives and mandarines. Maria is super knowledgeable and gave us great background information on everything we were interested in, including further advice on food, culture, hikes, beaches and activities. What makes this cooking class so special is that Maria really cares about the individual interests of the people who visit her. We chose 5 dishes in advance that we prepared together. Afterwards we had them for lunch in her wonderful garden accompanied by a fantastic wine. Maria is super caring and even gave us doggy bags to take home the addition food we weren’t able to finish. This experience was a perfect cocking class and so much more on top! We absolutely recommend spending an afternoon cooking with Maria. Thank you so much for this great day!