Spanish food is renowned for its deliciousness and like a magician's trick most who taste it wish to discover the secret behind the culinary magic.
Fortunately, there are plenty of quality schools around Spain where the tricks and centuries-old techniques are able to be learnt under the tutelage of those who have made Spanish food their life. Not a bad choice for a life-long pursuit!
Beronia Cooking School
San Sebastián
Food tour company San Sebastián Food is opening a new cookery school in association with the five-star Hotel Maria Cristina, which accommodates students during the course.
You'll learn about local ingredients (Getty)
Beronia Cooking School will be kitted out with a state of the art kitchen, offering courses for all levels of ability. It will be run by Michelin-starred chefs and local artisans.
The school is located in the heart of the city, just 100m from the traditional food market, La Brexta, where students can buy their ingredients. Bookings are being taken for classes and courses starting from March 2015.
Cook And Taste
Barcelona
Spice up a Barcelona city break with a lesson in Spanish cookery.
Cook and Taste's half-day Hands-on Cooking Class and Gourmet Market Tour begins with a guided walk around the city's La Boqueria market before students head back to the school to learn how to make a variety of traditional dishes including tapas and paella.
Everything is then put to the taste test at the end of the day.
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Paella Project
Valencia
If paella is your thing, Valencia is the place to go.
The Spanish Thyme Traveller's Valencia Paella Project teaches students how to cook an authentic version of Spain's most celebrated dish, which originated in the region.
Valencia paella cooking on a log fire (Getty)
The three-night break includes lessons in food history, culture and ingredients, a cava tasting and a trip to a winery and bodega in the nearby countryside.
The trip is also led by an English-speaking guide.
Finca Buenvino
Andalucia
This B&B-cum-cookery school is ideal for those who like to know exactly where their ingredients come from.
Finca Buenvino Bed and Breakfast is in the heart of the Jabugo Denominación de Origen (DO) area, which produces some of the finest Iberian ham and as part of the course, students visit celebrated ham producers.
Finca Buenvino runs several cookery courses a year for groups of four to eight people.
Annie B's Spanish Kitchen
Andalucia
This Andalucian cooking school is the perfect choice for the health-conscious cook: a culinary break with an emphasis on cutting out carbohydrates.
Set on the hilltop Andalucian town of Vejer, Annie B's six-day course includes four classes, a visit to the Barbate fish market, and a Spanish wine and sherry education, not to mention daily power walks.
The package includes accommodation in one of three nearby hotels.
Hotel Viura
Basque Country
Head to the Basque province of Alava to master the art of making traditional pintxos – the Basque version of tapas.
Guests at the Hotel Viura can learn to prepare 12 dishes, such as potatoes riojano and gazpacho, and combine them with local Riojan wines.
Pintxo of foie ... unbeatable (Getty)
The class is taught in the hotel's kitchen in the village of Villabuena de Alava.
If you fancy a tipple afterwards, head to the wine-tasting bar for a sampling session with the sommelier.
This article was written by Chloe Hamilton from The Independent and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
