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!
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 Porto 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 can accommodate lactose-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets if notified in advance.
Notes: Optional alcohol add-on: Includes one glass of local Portuguese wine with your meal. Wine pairing upgrade: For $39 per person, enjoy a curated tasting of 3–4 premium Portuguese wines selected by your host. Please email us if you'd like to add this upgrade to your experience.
Languages spoken: English, Portuguese
Maria's cooking class was a highlight in our trip to Portugal! She was good at communicating ahead of the experience to confirm and accommodate any allergies/etc... She also had already pre-cut some of the ingredients to save time, so we could enjoy our meal together! We had a wonderful time and 10/10 would recommend Maria's teaching and hospitality!- caitlin March 15, 2026
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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