Cooking Class in Asti: Farm-to-Table with Viviana

Forage herbs on a Piedmont farm, cook pasta and vegetables in a home kitchen, eat what you made

A private cooking class in Asti combines a farm visit and foraging experience with instruction in making two traditional Italian dishes in a local home kitchen. You'll explore Viviana's sustainable farmland, learn to identify wild herbs and plants, then prepare and share your meal in her residential home on the Piedmont hills. The class suits anyone (experienced cooks or complete beginners, adults or children), who wants to connect with local food culture hands-on.

The experience

Viviana, a host with a PhD in Natural Sciences and deep expertise in herbs, teaches this class in her home kitchen in an Asti neighborhood surrounded by vineyards and farms. The morning starts on her sustainable farmland, where you'll walk through vegetable gardens, see her chickens and fruit trees (hazelnut, apricot), and learn the practices she uses to build a healthy soil and ecosystem. As you move through the property, she'll show you how to recognize wild herbs and plants using all five senses: explaining their traditional uses and properties as you forage the ingredients you'll cook with later.

In the kitchen, you'll make two traditional Italian dishes from Viviana's family recipes, both highlighted with the wild herbs you've just gathered. The menu includes homemade pasta alla chitarra or gnocchi, and fresh vegetables prepared with what you foraged. No cooking experience is needed. The class works equally well for beginners and those who cook regularly. After you finish, you'll sit down together and eat the meal you helped prepare, experiencing Italian hospitality in a residential home rather than a restaurant or tour setting.

The experience runs about four hours and is entirely private. Just you and Viviana. Vegetarian options are available. Gratuities and beverages are included. The home, like many in rural Italy, does not have air conditioning. You'll need to arrange your own transport to the location. The operator does not provide hotel pickup.

What’s included

• Cooking lesson in Viviana's home kitchen.
• private farm tour and foraging experience on her sustainable farmland.
• introduction to wild herbs and their traditional uses.
• the meal you prepare together.
• alcoholic beverages.
• gratuities.

Options for this experience

2 options

Market visit, cooking class and lunchGuide in English, French or Italian · 09:30

Market visit, cooking class and dinnerGuide in English, French or Italian · 15:00

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:30 and 15:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Stroller-friendlyPets welcome

Operated by Traveling Spoon

Is this one for you?Choose the market and cooking class option if you want to forage ingredients fresh from the farm before cooking, or the dinner option if an evening meal works better with the rest of your day in Piedmont. Either way, you're learning in a residential home with a working farm attached, not in a commercial kitchen or restaurant space.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 11 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What wild herbs will I learn to identify on Viviana's farm?

Viviana teaches you to recognize wild herbs and plants using all five senses and explains their traditional uses and properties as you forage together on her land. The specific herbs vary by season, and she'll show you how to identify them in her vegetable gardens, around her fruit trees and throughout the farmland.

Do I need cooking experience to take this class?

No. The class is designed for all skill levels: experienced cooks and complete beginners alike, as well as children. Viviana teaches you step-by-step how to make the two dishes from her family recipes in her home kitchen.

What does Viviana's sustainable farm look like?

The farm sits on the hills of Piedmont, surrounded by vineyards and farms. You'll see vegetable gardens, chickens, wild plants, and fruit trees including hazelnut and apricot. Viviana demonstrates the soil-enrichment and ecosystem practices she uses to grow food there.

Can I choose what dishes I'll cook?

The menu includes homemade pasta alla chitarra or gnocchi and fresh vegetables with wild herbs from the farm. Both dishes highlight the ingredients you forage together, and vegetarian options are available.

Is this class private, or will I be with other travelers?

This is a 100% private experience. You'll work one-on-one with Viviana in her home kitchen and on her farm, with no other travelers present.