#DEVOUR TOURS LISBON HOW TO#

I decided against cooking along and enjoyed observing the class with a large glass of Rioja to hand! I do now feel confident to attempt the recipe at home, and look forward to doing so. There were lots of useful tips (like not including Chorizo, as the flavour overpowers the others in the dish!) and plenty of opportunity to ask questions. Arantxa was very informative and explained the origin of the dish and the ingredients.

#DEVOUR TOURS LISBON HOW TO#

Again the recipe and preparation notes were received beforehand and we were taken through how to prepare the iconic rice dish. I decided upon ‘The Spanish Paella Experience’ taught by Aranxta, a cordon-bleu trained chef based in Madrid. They have a number of experiences covering the cities they are based in, with classes on wine, vermouth, olive oil, tapas and pasta, among others. In fact I enjoyed the class so much, I decided to take a look at what else Devour had to offer. I’m even more determined to get there next year, and try the famous La Viña Cheesecake for myself! I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and it made up somewhat for not actually making it to Basque Country this Summer. The class lasted approximately 1.5 hours and cost €19 per screen. Claudia was more than happy to answer questions and my fellow foodies and I gleaned information on everything from the history of each dish, which drinks to pair with them and tips on the best eateries in this foodie hotspot. This dish is to die for! It’s not the most instagrammable dessert you’ll ever see but boy does it taste good! Burnt Basque CheesecakeĪs well as learning how to cook the Pintxo we also gained an insight into the local culture and customs. We also prepared the world famous Burnt Basque Cheesecake as eaten at La Viña. The Gilda is the original Pintxo and consists of an anchovy, green olive and pickled, green, spicy pepper inserted onto a toothpick, and eaten in one go! We prepared some of these prior to the class with produce bought from Brindisa at Borough Market. The three Pintxo were Gilda, Stuffed Peppers and Burnt Basque Cheesecake. Recipes and lists of ingredients were sent beforehand to allow for preparation. The brief stated that we would learn how to cook three iconic Basque Pintxo. The class was hosted by Claudia, a San Sebastian native who is very passionate about food and is currently studying Gastronomic Science. I’d seen a Pintxo cooking class advertised by Devour Tours and decided to give it a go. This has indeed proved popular, with them now considering offering virtual experiences even when things hopefully return to normal.Īt the end of July I was due to travel to San Sebastian but plans had to be put on hold. However with many of these cities being placed in lockdown during the Pandemic, Devour started offering online experiences with the aim of connecting foodies from around the World with local food. They were originally set up to provide authentic food and culture experiences in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, San Sebastian, Paris, Rome, Lisbon and London. The Covid-19 Pandemic has taken it’s toll on the travel industry but one company that has adapted during this time is Devour Tours.

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