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Host: Maria

Porto, Portugal

USD
$48-$84 per person

Traditional Portuguese meal and cooking class with a professional chef

Host offerings
  • Apartment
  • Professional cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Maria

Maria was born in a small village in central Portugal surrounded by green forests, farms, rivers and waterfalls. She moved to Porto to study management and soon after moved to Scotland to follow her childhood passion – cooking! As a little girl, Maria helped her mother bake traditional sweet treats. She and her sister used to enjoy whisking the cake batter and then licking the bowl at the end! This is what made Maria curious about food and ignited a passion for cooking and baking in her. Even though Maria graduated in management and worked at a Port wine cellar company for a few years, she later professionally studied to become a chef in Scotland. Maria is a food and wine tour guide who loves creating memorable experiences for her travelers – sharing tips, recipes, cultural and historical information about Portugal by offering cooking classes in her own kitchen!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-5 guests) Maria loves to meet new people and share her knowledge and passion of food with others. Sharing Portuguese food with the world is one of the reasons she started hosting travelers in her home. Maria learned to cook traditional Portuguese dishes from her mother and aunt. During this meal experience with Maria, you can expect to share a traditional, home-cooked Portuguese meal, with a local in her home. Join Maria and her boyfriend at the dining table to share dishes she cooked, using her aunt’s family recipes. A few dishes that you might try are clams à bolhão pato (clams in a white wine sauce) served with crusty bread and Portuguese style chicken curry with rice. Your meal concludes with a dessert such as jesuitas (flaky pastry filled with frangipane cream and topped with sliced almonds and powdered sugar).

Cooking experience: (1-5 guests) Join this professional chef in her home kitchen and learn to make traditional Portuguese dishes. Maria will teach you to cook dishes she learned from her mother and aunt. During your 1.5 hour cooking class learn to make two authentic Portuguese dishes from scratch - choose from one of three menus below. After cooking, join Maria at the dining table to share the dishes you helped prepare. Maria is excited to share her Portuguese culture through food and offers an authentic/traditional cooking class in Porto. She can accommodate lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian or vegan diets.

Notes: Maria can offer a lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian or vegan meal, if informed in advance.

Languages spoken: English, Portuguese

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Please choose one menu:
  • Menu 1: Clams à bolhão pato (clams in a white wine sauce) served with crusty bread, Portuguese style chicken curry with rice, and jesuitas (flaky pastry filled with frangipane cream and topped with sliced almonds and powdered sugar)
  • Menu 2: Grilled alheira (Portuguese sausage made with meat and bread), salted cod à brás served with fresh salad, and homemade pastel de nata
  • Menu 3: Pica pau (bites of meat with pickles and olives), salted cod cakes with soupy tomato rice, and serradura (Portuguese sawdust pudding)

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
Maria was a fantastic host and chef. She welcomed us into her home and taught us some simple recipes for very good food. I would always recommend Maria - she was great.
- Elizabeth June 03, 2024
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Maria

$48-$84 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
$68 $50 $48
Cooking Experience + Meal
$84 $68 $64
Alcohol
$8 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
$68 $50 $48
Cooking Experience + Meal
$84 $68 $64
Alcohol
$8 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
10:00am-1:00pm 7:00pm-10:00pm

Meet Maria

Maria was born in a small village in central Portugal surrounded by green forests, farms, rivers and waterfalls. She moved to Porto to study management and soon after moved to Scotland to follow her childhood passion – cooking! As a little girl, Maria helped her mother bake traditional sweet treats. She and her sister used to enjoy whisking the cake batter and then licking the bowl at the end! This is what made Maria curious about food and ignited a passion for cooking and baking in her. Even though Maria graduated in management and worked at a Port wine cellar company for a few years, she later professionally studied to become a chef in Scotland. Maria is a food and wine tour guide who loves creating memorable experiences for her travelers – sharing tips, recipes, cultural and historical information about Portugal by offering cooking classes in her own kitchen!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-5 guests) Maria loves to meet new people and share her knowledge and passion of food with others. Sharing Portuguese food with the world is one of the reasons she started hosting travelers in her home. Maria learned to cook traditional Portuguese dishes from her mother and aunt. During this meal experience with Maria, you can expect to share a traditional, home-cooked Portuguese meal, with a local in her home. Join Maria and her boyfriend at the dining table to share dishes she cooked, using her aunt’s family recipes. A few dishes that you might try are clams à bolhão pato (clams in a white wine sauce) served with crusty bread and Portuguese style chicken curry with rice. Your meal concludes with a dessert such as jesuitas (flaky pastry filled with frangipane cream and topped with sliced almonds and powdered sugar).

Cooking experience: (1-5 guests) Join this professional chef in her home kitchen and learn to make traditional Portuguese dishes. Maria will teach you to cook dishes she learned from her mother and aunt. During your 1.5 hour cooking class learn to make two authentic Portuguese dishes from scratch - choose from one of three menus below. After cooking, join Maria at the dining table to share the dishes you helped prepare. Maria is excited to share her Portuguese culture through food and offers an authentic/traditional cooking class in Porto. She can accommodate lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian or vegan diets.

Notes: Maria can offer a lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian or vegan meal, if informed in advance.

Languages spoken: English, Portuguese

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Please choose one menu:
  • Menu 1: Clams à bolhão pato (clams in a white wine sauce) served with crusty bread, Portuguese style chicken curry with rice, and jesuitas (flaky pastry filled with frangipane cream and topped with sliced almonds and powdered sugar)
  • Menu 2: Grilled alheira (Portuguese sausage made with meat and bread), salted cod à brás served with fresh salad, and homemade pastel de nata
  • Menu 3: Pica pau (bites of meat with pickles and olives), salted cod cakes with soupy tomato rice, and serradura (Portuguese sawdust pudding)

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
Maria was a fantastic host and chef. She welcomed us into her home and taught us some simple recipes for very good food. I would always recommend Maria - she was great.
- Elizabeth June 03, 2024
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
$68 $50 $48
Cooking Experience + Meal
$84 $68 $64
Alcohol
$8 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
$68 $50 $48
Cooking Experience + Meal
$84 $68 $64
Alcohol
$8 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
10:00am-1:00pm 7:00pm-10:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.