4 Days Food Tours in Kerala, India

"My sisters and I did the Curry Magic and had the most wonderful time. Jacob was a very generous and kind host and organized many interesting things for us to do in order to experience the real Kerala and the surrounding area. The cooking sessions were both fun and educational, and - above all - ultimately turned into delicious meals. The spice garden itself was a perfect escape from the buzz and the heat, and so we were able to enjoy some leisure time on the porch. The accommodation was very comfortable and newly renovated. Jacob also helped us with recommendations and helpful advice for other parts of our journey. All in all, we were very happy with our stay at the Pimenta and will definitely come back again!"

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"What an amazing find and the perfect introduction to our first trip to India. Jacob helped us out when two days before we were due to arrive in Kerala our accommodation plans fell through, and we were looking for somewhere a little bit unusual, rural but still comfortable - and ideally with amazing food. Pimenta was all of these things and more. Jacob is an amazing host, and gets the balance of looking after us vs making sure we had enough space to relax absolutely spot on. The bungalows are the perfect place to rest, and are clean, cool and comfortable. The food was delicious and plentiful, made even more enjoyable by Jacob's explanations of what we were eating and why (and his patience throughout an afternoon of cooking with my husband!). The best though was the range of activities - Jacob quickly assessed what we would be interested in, and was able to offer a tailored itinerary at a very reasonable rate. We visited spice harvesting, fabulous markets, took a river boat ride, and visit local farms. Absolutely spot on for some smallholders from the UK looking to visit our Indian equivalents! All in all a perfect start to our trip."

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"We had a fantastic time at Pimenta. Jacob was a very kind and hospitable host. We enjoyed learning to cook meals, sharing them, as well as relaxing. Would recommend this to anyone as an experience."

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"This small scale "retreat" was the only accommodation we had in India with proper mosquito screening in the bedrooms. The Wi-Fi is excellent. Jacob's food is delicious and always freshly cooked. The location is very quiet. Jacob prefers guests who stay several days at least, making a serene and restful ambience. I might suggest Jacob to have a local map ready for guests to orient themselves while staying here, perhaps a logbook too (for guests to record interesting experiences while staying here). Many thanks Jacob, your establishment is uniquely restful!"

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"My two friends and I decided to try a two day cook and stay at the Pimenta on our month long India trip. It was well worth the tour to Central Kerala. We stayed in a cozy bungalow, surrounded by beautiful spice plants and greenery. Jacob was a wonderful host, which guided us through two nights of cooking the most incredible dinners.On top of that he took us on a tour of the local markets out for a delicious thali lunch, and took us to see the most talented truck painters, which really blew our minds. I highly recommend the trip to Pimenta, whether you're looking for a longer cooking course or even just a few days of learning some really great recipes and relaxing!"

TripAdvisor website, edited

"This small scale "retreat" was the only accommodation we had in India with proper mosquito screening in the bedrooms. The Wi-Fi is excellent. Jacob's food is delicious and always freshly cooked. The location is very quiet. Jacob prefers guests who stay several days at least, making for a serene and restful ambiance. I might suggest Jacob have a local map ready for guests to orient themselves while staying here, perhaps a logbook too (for guests to record interesting experiences while staying here). Many thanks Jacob, your establishment is uniquely restful!"

TripAdvisor website, edited

"The Pimenta cooking holiday was a wonderful experience! I stayed there for five days in February 2015 and enjoyed the lovely bungalows, peaceful garden setting, and excellent hospitality. Jacob, the host and owner, was very attentive and flexible in responding to what I was interested in cooking, and what I was interested in exploring around the area. We visited several small towns, went on a spice walk, and visited one of the tea plantations up in the hills. I would highly recommend going there for anyone interested in learning about southern Indian cooking and wanting an experience outside the touristy areas."

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"I've never eaten so much wonderful vegetarian food in my life, let alone such great food cooked by myself! My mum and I spent a cooking holiday at Pimenta with Jacob and during that time he made us feel like family, not just guests. Not only was the cooking great fun, I learned a lot about the spices we were using and how best to bring out their flavors, and this course really opened my eyes to vegetarian cooking. Pimenta's bungalows are divine with lovely attention to detail, pristinely kept, and best of all, unlimited hot water! It was also my mum's 50th birthday when we were staying at Pimenta and Jacob bought her flowers and cake and he also took us to a lovely restaurant for dinner - true five-star personal service! I would thoroughly recommend a stay here. We explored the local surroundings each day (from truck painters to a rubber band factory), took some time to relax, away from the tourist hoards in Cochin, and we ate lots (sometimes too much!) incredible food, cooked by ourselves under Jacob's instruction. While I love my tandoori chicken, I never knew veg dishes could be so tasty! Great teacher, great place. Thanks Jacob, we had a lovely time!"

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"Hello Jacob, it was good to see your new website. I think it gives a clear picture of your place. We have so many memories of our stay with you and enjoy cooking the recipes that we learnt. Our best wishes to you, your mother, and Manu."

The Pimenta website, edited