Private Turkish Cuisine Cooking Class with Local Moms
Description
This experience is all about warmth, connection, and home-cooked goodness. You won’t be in a fancy kitchen or a cooking school—you’ll be in a real Turkish home, where a local mom from Southeast Turkey will welcome you like family. Together, you’ll cook home-style Turkish-Kurdish dishes, the kind that have been passed down through generations and made with love. But this isn’t just about food—it’s about sharing stories, laughter, and traditions. As you roll dolma or prepare fresh mezes, you’ll hear about the little secrets that make each dish special and how food brings people together in Turkey. More than a class, it’s a chance to experience true Turkish home hospitality—sitting around the table, enjoying a homemade feast, and feeling like you truly belong. From the moment you walk in, you won’t feel like a guest—you’ll feel like an old friend.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
Reviews(119)
Cooking as it should be! Hosts that make you feel part of their family, sharing dishes and cooking secrets that should be in a cookbook! We made five dishes along with several dips, and it was over the top in a very good way. What a wonderful way to share learning about Turkish and Kurdish cooking!
Wonderful traditional Turkish breakfast that we helped prepare. Didn’t know there was such a variety of food. My favorite was honeycomb with homemade yogurt on bread, delicious! Hosts even made sure my wife had her needed gluten bread.😄 Our host Nuran and her some Baver were the best. Even had her other son and his wife join us for a truly Turkish family breakfast. Baver offered great suggestions on sights in the city. It is well worth it👍
We had an amazing time in the cooking course. Very local experience, even got to meet the cook’s family⭐️⭐️
It was really a totally beautiful and interesting afternoon. After we all met we went to different local shops and we got the ingredients for the great dishes we were allowed to prepare together in the home kitchen of the instructor. From craftsmanship to wonderfully different tastes, everything was there. Simply an insight into traditional Turkish cuisine. Very recommendable. Around a successful, interesting afternoon. Thank you.
I can't possibly say enough good things about our experience doing the cooking class with Rojda. It was be awkward entering a new person's home for the first time, but Rojda made it feel anything but. From the moment we stepped inside, we were greeted with the infamous Turkish hospitality by both Rojda and her sweet little daughter. Water, tea, coffee, slippers, snacks-- everything was shared before we even started cooking. The food was incredible! We made an amazing feast and cooked so many amazing dishes- enough to feed a small army! Rojda kindly offered to have us take a lot of the food home, but unfortunately we were flying back the next day. The table was full and it was so hard to believe we cooked so much in such a short time-- soup, a main dish, and 4? 5? different mezze. And a salad. Incredible! The only thing more wonderful than the food was the conversation. Rojda shared with us about her life- what an amazing and inspiring woman she is! She shared with so much openness and honesty and warmth. It's amazing how even come from such different backgrounds, we have so many things in common and points of connection. My whole family- 2 adults and 2 kids- had the most wonderful time. It is an experience none of us will ever forget, and we are so grateful we got to take part in. Thank you Rojda!
I really loved this experience! Our host showed us some easy but really delicious Turkish and Kurdish recipes. After our cooking class we ate with her family, which are just wonderful people. Their kindness are unmatched as they invited us also to come next morning for a breakfast. Unfortunately we could not make it though, but it really sums up what kind of people they are; kind and welcoming.
This cooking class in Istanbul was an amazing experience. We learned to make some of our favorite Turkish dishes and really appreciated how authentic the whole experience was. Having Nouran’s friends and family join us for dinner made it feel warm, communal, and truly local. The welcoming culture and hospitality stood out. I would 100% recommend this experience to anyone visiting Istanbul.
Delicious breakfast with warm, gracious hosts! We enjoyed learning to cook this meal, as well as getting to know our hosts.
I arrived at the cozy apartment where the friendly host Nuran invited me to a lovely cup of Turkish tea together with her mother who was there as well. We started chatting, and I felt home immediately. We prepared dinner, which was a soup, main dish with lamb and potatoes, a broccoli and yogurt salad with bread on the side and my very favorite Turkish butter rice. Some pickles were served as well and Nuran explained how all is prepared patiently. Apart from the food being absolutely delicious, I was welcomed into this family atmosphere and just had the best time. It was the first time for me in Istanbul and I can recommend this cooking experience to anyone who just wants to feel home away from home. Even if you’re not into cooking, you will have a lovely time with Nuran and her wonderful family. I can highly recommend this class, packed with insights that will widen your horizon culturally too!
Authentic atmosphere and delicious food shared with our host and her whole family, it was a culinary but also a great human experience. I would recommend it for anyone. Thank you!
