The historical cooking week in Provence is a unique experience that takes you on a week-long journey through the history of French cuisine. During the week, you will stay in a beautiful old French country house. You will experience an interesting mix of educational cooking classes, tastings, field trips and shopping at a local market to buy our ingredients. Of course, there will be time to relax in and around the magnificent country house or to take a dive in the pool.
travel & covid
If the historical cooking week cannot take place due to travel restrictions or strongly restrictive covid measures, the full amount will be refunded.
Cooking week October 1-8 2022
The historical cooking week in Provence will take place from October 1-8 2022. This experience is meant for those who want to learn about the history of French food in a relaxed and educational atmosphere. In five elaborate cooking classes you will learn what the French kitchen was all about. You will be inspired by the ingredients, recipes and local products from the Roman period, Middle Ages, Grand Siècle, Siècle de Lumières and 19th and 20th centuries. For more inspiration and knowledge we visit unique culinary heritage during our trip. This unique historical cooking week is an all-inclusive experience, meaning that all drinks, meals, trips and tips are included.
accommodation
French country house
The old Mas has been renovated with great attention to its history and offers modern comfort. The interior is decorated with an eye for detail.
Two kitchens
In the spacious kitchen, an extra kitchen in the adjoining building and outdoor kitchen, there is plenty of room to make delicious French historical dishes.
Lovely bedrooms
The bedrooms are beautifully furnished and the beds have comfortable mattresses. Almost all rooms have a private bathroom.
Heated swimmingpool
You can sit back and relax in the living rooms, on one of the delightful terraces, in the swimming pool or during a stroll in the large garden or rural surroundings.
Five cooking classes
At the heart of the historical cooking week are five cooking classes. The classes are designed to teach you everything about the history of French cuisine from antiquity up to the 20th century. Every class starts with a short introduction. Every period is characterized by its own ingredients, seasonings, flavour combinations and cooking techniques. You learn, for example, how to bake croissants and several breads, make sausages, beautiful decorated pies and ice cream.
2000 years of French cuisine
You will travel 2000 years back in time to ANTIQUITY in the first cooking class, which will show you a lot of interesting Roman flavour combinations for sure!
The second cooking class is centered around MEDIEVAL kitchen traditions. There are a few interesting French culinary manuscripts from the 13th – 15th centuries. You will be amazed by the genius recipes that go back more than 500 years!
The GRAND SIECLE is not just the highlight of French art and culture, but also of the culinary world. France developed into a culinary superpower. You cook from a number of 17th century cookbooks that have been compiled by chefs who changed cuisine in Europe forever.
The SIECLE DE LUMIERES (18th century) is subject of the fourth cooking class. French cuisine set the tone in Europe and produced famous chefs who showed their cooking skills around the world.
With all the knowledge that you have gained this week, you are challenged to interpret recipes from the 19th & 20th CENTURIES yourself and to turn them into beautiful dishes.
ingredients
The Provence is known for its good quality ingredients and local products. We cook with local seasonal products as much as possible. You will also discover and cook with forgotten ingredients.
Shopping at local market
Visiting local markets in Provence is part of the historical cooking week. We will buy our ingredients for the cooking classes and, of course, you can buy tasty treats to take home with you as well.
The ingredients for breakfast, lunch and snacks are from French origin as well. The crispy baguettes and buttery croissants are a must for breakfast. The beautiful wine estates in Provence provides us all week long with high quality wines to go with our apéro and dinners.
French culinary heritage
Olive oil, cheese, wine and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables have attracted people to Provence for centuries. We have to taste those products of course! With a food tour in Avignon and a trip through the Provençal countryside with some tastings, we will certainly succeed.
In addition to the beautiful contemporary wine estates in Provence, the region also houses a very special winery. We are going to visit a Roman wine farm. They make a series of wines according to Roman recipes and ancient production techniques. That will be a tasty visit!
dining in Provence
During the cooking week, we will have lunch and dinner at some lovely places. We are going to have lunch between the market stalls to enjoy beautiful regional products, we dine in a historical place, we taste a traditional Provencal meal and a complete Roman lunch is prepared for us!
Experienced tour guide
The cooking classes are arranged and taught by me,food historian Manon Henzen, founder of eet!verleden (eat history in English). I have been teaching cooking classes for years and I research the history of French food and dining. I travel to France regularly for culinary inspiration and I know where to find the best food spots and delicacies in Avignon. I write articles, cookbooks and blog posts about French cuisine regularly as well.
Extra cooking class and shopping
For every guest there is an apron, notebook, recipes for the cooking classes, a culinary guide of Avignon and a bibliography with historical cookbooks and books about the history of the French cuisine.
Optionally you can twice prepare lunch with me. I do an extra bread baking workshop, about some special French breads. You can also go shopping for the cooking classes with me and have a second visit to the market. There are no additional costs, of course.
program
Day 1
Day of arrival. Getting to know each other, apéro, and having dinner together.
Day 2
Shopping at a beautiful market, lunch with market purchases, Roman cooking class (dinner).
Day 3
Free morning, lunch (optional: prepare lunch), medieval cooking class (dinner).
Day 4
Visit Roman wine estate with wine tasting, Roman lunch, 17th century cooking session (dinner).
Day 5
Visit to Avignon: food tour, lunch in old market hall, free time, dinner in the city.
Day 6
Free morning, lunch (optional: prepare lunch), 18th century cooking class (dinner).
Day 7
Visit heritage & producers with tastings and lunch, 19th & 20th centuries cooking class (dinner).
Day 8
Breakfast, present & goodbyes. Going home with beautiful memories and inspiration!
costs
The historical cooking week in Provence is all-inclusive. Every cooking class, meal, drink, way of local transport, tasting and entrance fee is included in the costs. The only thing that is not included is transport to and from the accommodation. When booking the cooking week via the link below, you make a deposit of 50% of the total amount. Details about the remaining 50% will follow shortly after booking.
Twin room
If you are coming with a friend or if you are traveling alone and want to share a room, the beautifully furnished twin rooms are a comfortable place to stay.
Total costs: € 1.750 p.p.
book twin room Double room
For couples there are a number of double rooms available with spacious beds in beautifully furnished rooms. A good night’s sleep guaranteed!
Total costs: € 1.750 p.p.
book double room
Single room
If you like to sleep alone in a room, a single room has been set up for you. The single rooms are limited, so don’t wait too long.
Total costs: € 1.950 p.p.
book single roomDo you have questions about the historical cooking week or do you want to know if this is the trip you are dreaming of? Please contact me.
email manon