Explore Greek Cuisine in a Savor Nafplio Cooking Class
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Have you ever wanted to learn the secrets of Greek cooking? If so, then consider adding a cooking class to your Greek travel itinerary.
When I traveled in Greece, I found out very quickly that Greek food is consistently tastier than any food I’ve eaten anywhere.
Sure, I’ve had great meals in France, Italy, Spain, and even North America, but Greece wins hands down when it comes to consistency, taste, and freshness.
To learn why Greek food is so great—and more importantly, how to prepare it myself—my daughter, Julia, and I decided take a cooking class at Savor Nafplio Cooking while staying in lovely little Nafplio.
In the three-hour class, we learned how to prepare Greek dishes and then enjoyed a five-course meal complete with wine pairings.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Savor Nafplio Cooking Class
Nafplio is one of Greece’s most charming small towns, with pastel-colored buildings, Venetian fortifications, and a relaxed seaside atmosphere that makes it an ideal base for slow travel in the Peloponnese.
Once the first capital of modern Greece, Nafplio combines layers of history with a lively food scene rooted in regional traditions. Taking a cooking class here is not just about learning recipes; it provides a chance to connect with local ingredients, techniques, and the rhythms of everyday Greek life.
We arrived at 5 pm to discover that we were the only two participants. Chef Kostas was a wonderful host and teacher. He kept us enthralled and engaged throughout the class.
I’ve taken several cooking classes while traveling in Europe, and the class at Savor Nafplio Cooking ranked as one of the best.
Chef Kostas started the evening by sharing the menu and telling us what to expect. We then got right to work.
Dishes Prepared During the Class
Over the course of the three-hour class, we prepared lamb bogana, beef-stuffed zucchini, tomato salad with cucumber soup, and orange pie, along with tastings of some excellent local wine.
Main Course: Lamb Bogana
The main course of the four-course meal was lamb and potatoes. Since both must cook for at least two hours, we started by preparing the lamb then the potatoes. Kostas showed me how to cut slits in the lamb and insert small slivers of garlic along with sprinklings of salt and pepper. Meanwhile, Julia was put to work making the paste to rub over the lamb.
I also peeled potatoes to layer under the lamb. While we worked, Kostas provided us with a wealth of useful tips and information about what we were doing—and why.
Appetizer: Beef-Stuffed Zucchini
Once the lamb and potatoes were in the oven, we got going on the beef-stuffed zucchini. Julia and I learned how to core a zucchini (harder than it looks!), and then we prepared the meat filling. We mixed fresh herbs, an egg, plenty of olive oil, and green onions with ground beef and then stuffed the mixture into the hollowed-out zucchinis.
Kostas nestled three stuffed zucchinis into a pan half-filled with water. Later, we smothered them in a delectable egg and lemon sauce.
Tomato Salad with Cucumber Soup
Kostas taught us how to prepare cucumbers for pureeing into a refreshing green soup. He used small cucumbers which he said were less bitter. To ensure the soup was a pleasing color of green, but not too bitter, he instructed me to peel the cucumber in stripes. Cool tip.
Later, he served the cucumber soup under a mound of chopped Greek salad fixings: tomatoes, onions, olives, capers and some crunchy bread bits all topped with fresh feta cheese. Delicious!
Orange Pie
Traditional Greek orange pie was what I’d call cake: a light, orange-flavored sponge soaked in an orange syrup. Kostas demonstrated how to prepare and measured the many ingredients required for the pie.
One of my jobs was to cut a roll of filo pastry into thin ribbons and then mix them with eggs and fresh orange juice. The filo was a substitute for flour. Its texture gives the pie a lighter texture than if it was made with flour. Interesting idea!
Dining at Savor Nafplio
With all the food prepared, the dining and wine tasting began. Kostas brought out a small loaf of warm sourdough bread for us to dip in local olive oil flavored with local sea salt. The bread was so good that I ate too much of it and then later had trouble finishing all my dinner.
Kostas paired five wines with the various courses, from a light white to an after-dinner dessert wine. Kostas explained each wine’s origins in Greece and what to expect while tasting. I thoroughly enjoyed tasting the wine and sampled the dinner courses.
Here are pictures of the meal we enjoyed at Savor Nafplio Cooking.
Booking a Class at Savor Nafplio Cooking
Kostas varies the menu depending on the preferences of the guests. We’d specified no fish or shellfish so they weren’t on the menu.
He also looks at what’s fresh in the local market and consults his own mood. The menu we enjoyed may not be the menu a guest would enjoy on another night. I am, however, confident that whatever the menu, the cooking experience will be first-rate.
If you’re visiting Nafplio, I recommend finding three hours in your schedule to take a cooking class and enjoy a meal and wine pairings at Savor Nafplio Cooking. You’ll get excellent value for the money and learn new cooking tips.
Cooking Classes in Greece
Here are some GetYourGuide cooking classes available in Greece:
More Cooking Classes on Artsy Traveler
Here are more posts about cooking classes I’ve taken when traveling.
- Pizza, Gelato, Suppli–Oh My! A Fantastic Cooking Class in Rome
- Cooking in Roma with InRome Cooking
- Exploring Fascinating Madrid–Europe’s Best-Kept Secret for the Artsy Traveler
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Carol M. Cram writes novels inspired by the arts; runs Artsy Traveler, an arts-focused travel blog, and Art In Fiction, a curated database of 2,700+ novels inspired by the arts; and hosts The Art In Fiction Podcast. She has also authored 60+ textbooks on computer applications and taught at Capilano University for over two decades. Carol lives with her husband, artist Gregg Simpson, on beautiful Bowen Island near Vancouver, BC.
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