Istanbul Cooking Class Review: Top 3 Best Cooking Classes To Consider

This article has links to products and services we recommend, which we may make a commission from.

Taking an Istanbul cooking class is a fun and delicious way to dive into Türkiye’s rich culinary culture.

The cuisine draws on influences from Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Asia.

While exploring the authentic food specialties in Turkey, we signed up for an Istanbul cooking class to better understand the local food and culture.

In this review, we share our experience from our fun and tasty Istanbul cooking class.

We also highlight alternative cooking classes to consider on your visit to Türkiye.

Table of Contents

Top Cooking Classes in Istanbul

Learning to make Turkish cuisine is an unforgettable experience for food lovers. In Istanbul, we considered several options and eventually settled on a Turkish and Ottoman cooking class.

Unfortunately, the class is no longer available. Instead, we recommend this private Istanbul cooking class with local moms, which offers a very similar experience.

It’s a private class similar to the one we took. You’ll learn to make many of the same recipes we did, and you’ll enjoy a mix of cooking and culture.

While doing our research, we came across two other cooking classes that highlight other aspects of Turkey’s culinary culture.

Authentic homemade Turkish breakfast: Breakfast, known as “Kahvalti,” is considered the most important meal of the day. In this cooking class, you’ll spend the morning with locals making iconic breakfast dishes.

Istanbul cooking class with market visit: This 4-hour cooking class starts with a visit to the Spice Market. After a ferry ride across the Bosphorus, you’ll make a variety of home-cooked dishes on the Asian side of Istanbul.

AUTHENTIC FOOD QUEST TIP: Besides taking a cooking class, you can also dive into traditional Turkish culture on a food tour with a local guide. We took a food tour across the two continents and loved it. Read more about this tour and other Istanbul food tours in our article 9 Best Istanbul Food Tours To Taste Turkish Cuisine

Highlights of Our Turkish and Ottoman Cooking Class in Istanbul

For more than 3-hours, we had a lot of fun in our Istanbul cooking class with Chef Kaan. Generally, the classes are for small groups, but in our case, we happen to be the only two participants.

Our cooking class menu featured a variety of dishes from the Ottoman Empire to Capadoccia, where Chef Kaan is from.

From learning to make starters to desserts, we had fun diving into Turkish food and local culture.

Starters Stuffed Grape Leaves or Yaprak Sarmasi

Stuffed grape leaves also known as Dolmas or Dolmades are popular in Turkish cuisine.

The ones we learned to make in our Istanbul cooking class were meat-free and made with rice, raisins, sour cherries, mint, and cinnamon seasonings.

While cooking, we learned from Chef Kaan that Yaprak Sarmasi is typically associated with Ottoman food.

The use of ingredients like grapes, cherries, plums, and exotic spices were emblematic of refined tastes in the Ottoman Palace.

We were excited with how our Yaprak Sarmasi turned out, given how delicate it was to carefully fold them in the grape leaves without breaking them apart.

AUTHENTIC FOOD QUEST TIP: Learning to make stuffed grape leaves is a lot of fun. In the private Istanbul cooking class with local moms, you’ll learn the techniques of making dolmas, as the starter.

Main Meal – Turkish Ravioli Dumplings or Manti

From Cappadocia, chef Kaan’s hometown, we learned to make the region’s traditional Turkish dumplings.

Manti or small stuffed dumplings are a delicious food that we enjoyed in Turkey. The Cappadocia version we made in our Istanbul cooking class were stuffed with ground beef.

In this cooking workshop, we made everything from scratch. After making the dough, we used a traditional thin extra-long rolling pin known as Oklava to roll out the dough.

The manti dough needs to be very thin and then cut into small squares for stuffing. Filling the manti with the cooked beef was a comedy of errors.

Trying not to let any beef escape from the super-thin dough and perfectly fold them in place is a practice for the patient.

After much trial and error, we successfully made the manti, which was one of our favorite dishes in the cooking class.

AUTHENTIC FOOD QUEST TIP: Learning how to make manti dumplings is also on the menu of the private Istanbul cooking class with local moms.

Main Meal Cappadocia-Style Bread Dish or Yağlama

Yaglama which Chef Kaan referred to as a Turkish lasagna dish, sounded complicated but was in fact very easy to make.

This traditional dish from Capadoccia was a layered dish of ground beef between very thin slices of a special bread known as lavash.

While learning about the dish and the traditional recipes of Cappadocia, we cooked the ground beef with tomato and sweet pepper paste.

The cooking class was quite interactive moving back and forth and preparing different dishes under the watchful eye of Chef Kaan.

As the food was simmering on the stove top, we were introduced to Turkish wine from Cappadocia. It was a delicious light red wine, easy to drink.

There’s a technique to eating this dish once it’s layered up and topped with a garlicky yogurt sauce. As Chef Kaan demonstrated, you pierce your fork through the layers of soft bread and twist it together and then eat.

Similar to a layered tortilla or lasagna, Yağlama’s bright flavors surprised us. So simple and delicious, this is a recipe we promised we’d make again.

Dessert – Turkish Pastry Dessert with Cheese or Kunefe

One of the reasons we were excited about this Istanbul cooking class was the opportunity to learn to make Kunefe.

We had already fallen in love with Kunefe dessert, which we had discovered earlier in our Turkey stay, and we wanted to learn the recipe secrets.

Made with kadayıf or shredded phyllo dough, stringy cheese, and butter – all the secrets of this delicious Turkish dessert.

To make the Kunefe, we first made a sugar water syrup and then combined kadayif with melted butter in special individual Kunefe plates.

This was a delicious finish to our Istanbul cooking class.

AUTHENTIC FOOD QUEST RECIPE: Learn to make Kunefe at home with our Easy Kunefe Recipe: How To Make The Tantalizing Turkish Cheese Pastry

Overall Impressions of this Cooking Class in Istanbul

What We Loved

Taking Istanbul cooking classes is a great way to learn about Turkish food culture. Here are some of the reasons why we loved our cooking class experience.

Interactive Class with Gaming: This is one of the best cooking classes for fun and entertainment. You’ll not only learn how to make the dishes but you’ll also be entertained in the process. We enjoyed our friendly competition and in the end, I was the “Manti” chef for skillfully folding the ravioli, while Claire was the “Sarma” chef for her exceptional detail in rolling the grape leaves.

Turkish Culinary Culture: Chef Kaan was a wonderful instructor who kept the perfect balance between cooking and teaching. In his very friendly and approachable, he shared about Turkish history and culinary tips and kept the energy high with music.

Delicious Turkish Food: After your cooking class experience, you’ll enjoy tasty and flavorful delicious food. Sitting in a comfortable Turkish-style dining room, you’ll have plenty to eat from starters to dessert. And, you’ll also leave with a certificate of completion and the recipes to recreate at home.

BOOK ISTANBUL COOKING CLASS WITH LOCAL MOMS

Alternative Cooking Classes in Istanbul to Consider

If you are looking for Istanbul cooking classes where you’ll learn to make breakfast or enjoy a local market shopping experience, here are two other cooking classes we recommend.

Authentic Homemade Turkish Breakfast Cooking Class

Experience a typical morning in Istanbul over breakfast with locals. At a local’s home, you’ll enjoy Turkish hospitality as you make a traditional breakfast.

You’ll make Menemen and other classic egg-based dishes. Breakfast pastries, kaymak, honey, and more will add a sweet touch to the savory flavors.

And, most importantly, together you’ll learn, cook, and build bridges through food and culture.
This authentic homemade Turkish breakfast cooking class lasts for about 3 hours, with the option for private transportation.

What To Expect From This Turkish Breakfast Cooking Class

Some of the key highlights from this class are:

Learning to make traditional Turkish breakfast foods, including Turkish coffee and tea.
Cooking in the intimacy of a local’s home.
Sharing a meal that provides for even deeper cultural connections.

What People Say

Travelers love this class, describing it as “an amazing time with new friends” and “a highlight of their time in Istanbul.”

Specifically, they enjoy the “kind and welcoming family. Lovely people with whom they enjoyed a delicious traditional meal.”

BOOK HOMEMADE TURKISH BREAKFAST COOKING CLASS

Istanbul Cooking Class with Market Visit

This 4-hour Istanbul cooking class offers an immersive experience into Turkish cooking and culture.

Before your cooking experience, you’ll take a guided tour of the Spice Market and learn about the key ingredients to delicious Turkish home cooking.

Along with your guide, you’ll take a short ferry ride across the Bosphorus to the Asian side of Istanbul for the cooking class.

You’ll learn to make stuffed grape leaves, stuffed zucchini, a variety of mezze dishes, and much more.

You’ll leave having well eaten and with a deeper appreciation for the spices, ingredients, and recipes that are fundamental to Turkish cooking.

What To Expect From This Istanbul Cooking Class with Market Visit

Some of the key highlights from this class are:

A guided visit to the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul.
Crossing the Bosphorus on a ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul.
Learning to make a variety of Turkish dishes.
Enjoying a cooking class experience at a local’s home.

What People Say

Travelers describe this cooking class as “an incredible experience with Spice Market tour.”

Those traveling as a family described the “hosts as very welcoming and warm. We enjoyed traveling to the Asian side and walking through the markets. Everyone participated in the cooking making it a lot of fun.”

BOOK ISTANBUL COOKING CLASS WITH MARKET VISIT

AUTHENTIC FOOD QUEST TIP: The Asian side of Istanbul has its own unique vibe and flair. While in Istanbul, we stayed on the Asian side of the city and took a street food tour to explore the local specialties. Read our review of our Istanbul Street Food Tour: How To Eat Your Way in Kadikoy Trendy Neighborhood

Have you ever taken an Istanbul cooking class before? Or what about a cooking class in another country? Please let us know in the comments below.

Savor the Adventure!