• Cooking Schools: Luxury, Adventure, Relaxed, Specialized, Healthy, Immersion, One or Two Day, and More
• Gourmet Entertains: Recipes From Cooking Schools Around the World; Japanese Dinner
• Chile Tour in Oaxaca, Mexico
• Nicole Mones on China’s Yangshuo Cooking School
• The Last Touch: Strawberries

“Over the years we have gotten so many queries about cooking vacations that we finally decided to go out and get some definitive answers. During the past year, our staff have been traveling the world, learning to cook in every conceivable location,” says Ruth Reichl in “Rich Rewards” (page 26), her editor’s letter for Gourmet’s May issue. “The real revelation is that there is no better way to experience another culture than to stand at a stove with a wonderful cook.”

Gourmet’s editors attended the world’s best cooking classes, and they came back with great tips, recipes, and a collection of the most exciting and informative places to visit. Cooking vacations are covered in such categories as Luxury, Adventure, Relaxed, Healthy, Immersion, One or Two Day, and More:

Luxury travels to France: “Heaven Looks a Lot Like France” (page 36), on Two Bordelais; India: “Curry, No Hurry” (page 38), on Philipkutty’s Farm, in Kerala; New York: “Cooking with the Star” (page 42), on Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Culinary Master Course; Marrakech, Morocco: “Another Day in Paradise” (page 44), on Peggy Markel’s culinary tours; Italy: “That’s Amore” (page 48), on Academia Barilla, in Parma.

Adventure travels to Luang Prabang, Laos: “A Cuisine Comes Out of the Closet” (page 54), on Tamarind; Ushguli, Republic of Georgia: “First You Milk the Cow” (page 56), on The Route of Flavors trip to Georgian villages; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: “Hot Time in the Old Town” (page 61), on LaZat Malaysian Home Cooking Classes and classes with celebrity chef Ismail Ahmad; Tellicherry, India: “Tellicherry Blossom” (page 63), on Tellicherry Pepper cooking classes.

Relaxed travels to Louviers, France: “On the Street Where She Lives” (page 64), about On RueTatin’s intimate cooking classes with cookbook author Susan Loomis; San Casciano dei Bagni, Italy: “This Villa Comes with Staff—You’re It” (page 72), about Homebase Abroad, a company specializing in beautiful Italian rentals; Kea, Greece: “Easy Does It on an Aegean Island” (page 76), on the Kea Artisanal culinary program; Vallelunga, Sicily: “A Stove Among the Vineyards” (page 78), on culinary courses at Regaleali Vineyards; Cochin, India: “Tuk-Tuk to Transcendental” (page 78), on Nimmy Paul, Kerala’s foremost cooking authority; Shanagarry, Ireland: “Butter, Cream—Even Sushi” (page 80), on Ballymaloe Cookery School; Huemul, Chile: “South America’s Napa Valley” (page 82), on the Mapuyampay Hostal Gastronómico; Smoljanci, Croatia: “On a Different Roll” (page 84), about Stancija 1904, a 104-year-old Istrian villa; El Masroig, Spain: “Get Comfortable in Catalonia” (page 86), on Catacurian cooking school and guesthouse; Venice, Italy: “Put Your Trust in the Countess” (page 88), on the new Venetian branch of Enrica Rocca Cooking School; Nice, France: “Small Is Beautiful—and a Bit Italian” (page 88), on Les Petits Farcis; Philo, California: “Apples Among the Redwoods” (page 90), on The Apple Farm; Bangkok, Thailand: “Lessons from the Village Cook” (page 92), on classes at The Thai House.

Specialized travels to Melbourne, Australia: “Putting It Together Down Under” (page 94), on The Unlimited Cuisine Company, run by Tony Tan; Hong Kong, China: “Silence Is Golden in Mongkok” (page 96), on classes with Martha Sherpa; Padstow, England: “Coming to Grips with Fish” (page 98), on the Padstow Seafood School’s one- to six-day courses; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico: “The Slow Road to Mexican Cooking” (page 100), on Culinary Adventures’ Mexico tours; Bath, England: “Mastering the Upper Crust” (page 102), on studying with baker extraordinaire Richard Bertinet.