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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Anita and Pushpa

Pondicherry, India

USD
$38-$78 per person

French-Creole Cooking Class in Pondicherry

Host offerings
  • House
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Anita and Pushpa

Anita curates authentic experiences in India to the international market and also has an e-commerce called 'Helping Arts' where she promotes handcrafted, sustainable products by local artisans. She is passionate about travel and learning about cultures, art and craft, traditions and cuisines. She also promotes living a sustainable lifestyle and creates awareness about using single use plastic, composting, gardening and eating healthy locally produced food. Anita’s paternal grandmother lived in Indo Chine (Vietnam and Cambodia) during the French colonization for 40 years. There she learned to cook French, Vietnamese and Cambodian food. Later she came back to Pondicherry and with Portuguese and Tamil Nadu influence, she enjoyed cooking various fusion dishes, that Anita’s mother, Pushpa, learned and today cooks and shares with people who are interested in trying the cuisine of Pondicherry - which is very unique with it's influence from Vietnamese, Creole, French and Portuguese cuisine.

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: (4-12 guests) Anita and Pushpa are excited to showcase traditional and authentic Pondicherry cuisine, which you will only find in a local’s home. The meal will be served on a banana leaf and you will be encouraged to eat with your hands, like the locals do. Eating food on a banana leaf and with your hands has a lot of health benefits and somehow the food always tastes better! You will get to try authentic French Pondicherry Créole cuisine that Anita’s mother, Pushpa, learned from her mother-in-law, Silouveyammal, who lived in Vietnam and Cambodia for 40 years. Apart from trying a home cooked meal using family recipes, you will also learn about the history of Pondicherry, interesting information about architecture, people, culinary traditions and cuisine.

Cooking experience: (2-12 guests) In your Pondicherry cooking class, you will join Pushpa in her home kitchen to learn some of her favorite dishes that she has been cooking for her friends and family. In this hands-on cooking class you will learn how to cook Pondicherry's Créole cuisine, a unique fusion of French and Tamil traditions. In your 2-hour cooking class, learn to cook one side dish, one main dish and one dessert from scratch. You will help Pushpa to clean, cut and cook all the ingredients to create a delicious meal from Pondicherry, which was once the original headquarters of the French in India. After cooking you will share the meal you helped prepare.

Market visit: (2-12 guests) Meet Anita at her home and then walk to the neighborhood market, it is where all the local's shop. Farmers sell their produce here and you will get to see fresh, seasonal produce - fruits, vegetables, herbs etc. Walk around the market while Anita shares more about the produce and how it is used to cook the cuisine of Pondicherry. You will even buy a few ingredients from the market before returning home for your cooking class (if you've booked a cooking class) and meal.

Notes: Anita and Pushpa can accommodate lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan diets, on request. If you have any dietary restrictions please let them know in advance, while booking your Creole cooking class online.

Languages spoken: English, French, Tamil

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.
  • Jus de nannari (juice)
  • Riz blanc (white rice) and rasam (spiced lentil curry)
  • Curry au poisson (assad fish curry)
  • Poulet vindaloo (chicken curry) or Lentilles à l'agneau (mutton markamdam sambhar) or Sauce aux boulettes de viande (meat ball sauce)
  • Courge aux cacahuètes et noix de coco (butternut sautéed with peanuts) or Salade Créole (Creole salad) or Courge avec des lentilles (gourd with lentilles)
  • Kesari (dessert made with semolina, ghee, saffron, nuts and sugar)
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Anita and Pushpa

$38-$78 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+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 Not offered $48 $38
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $68 $58
Market Tour + Meal
 Not offered $68 $58
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $78 $76
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 Not offered $48 $38
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $68 $58
Market Tour + Meal
 Not offered $68 $58
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $78 $76
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 1:00pm-3:00pm 7:30pm-9:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm 6:00pm-9:00pm
Market Tour+ Meal
 11:30am-1:30pm 6:00pm-8:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 10:30am-2:30pm

Meet Anita and Pushpa

Anita curates authentic experiences in India to the international market and also has an e-commerce called 'Helping Arts' where she promotes handcrafted, sustainable products by local artisans. She is passionate about travel and learning about cultures, art and craft, traditions and cuisines. She also promotes living a sustainable lifestyle and creates awareness about using single use plastic, composting, gardening and eating healthy locally produced food. Anita’s paternal grandmother lived in Indo Chine (Vietnam and Cambodia) during the French colonization for 40 years. There she learned to cook French, Vietnamese and Cambodian food. Later she came back to Pondicherry and with Portuguese and Tamil Nadu influence, she enjoyed cooking various fusion dishes, that Anita’s mother, Pushpa, learned and today cooks and shares with people who are interested in trying the cuisine of Pondicherry - which is very unique with it's influence from Vietnamese, Creole, French and Portuguese cuisine.

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: (4-12 guests) Anita and Pushpa are excited to showcase traditional and authentic Pondicherry cuisine, which you will only find in a local’s home. The meal will be served on a banana leaf and you will be encouraged to eat with your hands, like the locals do. Eating food on a banana leaf and with your hands has a lot of health benefits and somehow the food always tastes better! You will get to try authentic French Pondicherry Créole cuisine that Anita’s mother, Pushpa, learned from her mother-in-law, Silouveyammal, who lived in Vietnam and Cambodia for 40 years. Apart from trying a home cooked meal using family recipes, you will also learn about the history of Pondicherry, interesting information about architecture, people, culinary traditions and cuisine.

Cooking experience: (2-12 guests) In your Pondicherry cooking class, you will join Pushpa in her home kitchen to learn some of her favorite dishes that she has been cooking for her friends and family. In this hands-on cooking class you will learn how to cook Pondicherry's Créole cuisine, a unique fusion of French and Tamil traditions. In your 2-hour cooking class, learn to cook one side dish, one main dish and one dessert from scratch. You will help Pushpa to clean, cut and cook all the ingredients to create a delicious meal from Pondicherry, which was once the original headquarters of the French in India. After cooking you will share the meal you helped prepare.

Market visit: (2-12 guests) Meet Anita at her home and then walk to the neighborhood market, it is where all the local's shop. Farmers sell their produce here and you will get to see fresh, seasonal produce - fruits, vegetables, herbs etc. Walk around the market while Anita shares more about the produce and how it is used to cook the cuisine of Pondicherry. You will even buy a few ingredients from the market before returning home for your cooking class (if you've booked a cooking class) and meal.

Notes: Anita and Pushpa can accommodate lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan diets, on request. If you have any dietary restrictions please let them know in advance, while booking your Creole cooking class online.

Languages spoken: English, French, Tamil

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.
  • Jus de nannari (juice)
  • Riz blanc (white rice) and rasam (spiced lentil curry)
  • Curry au poisson (assad fish curry)
  • Poulet vindaloo (chicken curry) or Lentilles à l'agneau (mutton markamdam sambhar) or Sauce aux boulettes de viande (meat ball sauce)
  • Courge aux cacahuètes et noix de coco (butternut sautéed with peanuts) or Salade Créole (Creole salad) or Courge avec des lentilles (gourd with lentilles)
  • Kesari (dessert made with semolina, ghee, saffron, nuts and sugar)
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 Not offered $48 $38
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $68 $58
Market Tour + Meal
 Not offered $68 $58
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $78 $76
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 Not offered $48 $38
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $68 $58
Market Tour + Meal
 Not offered $68 $58
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $78 $76
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 1:00pm-3:00pm 7:30pm-9:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm 6:00pm-9:00pm
Market Tour+ Meal
 11:30am-1:30pm 6:00pm-8:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 10:30am-2:30pm
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.