Cook with a cookbook author · Sicily
Olives, Almonds & Memory: A Jewish Culinary Journey through Sicily with Leah Koenig
A May 16-22, 2027 southeastern Sicily tour hosted by cookbook author Leah Koenig exploring how Jewish and Arab-Sephardic heritage shaped Sicilian cooking, through markets, farms, cooking classes and shared meals.
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What you will do
- Cooking class with arancine and cuccia
- Ortigia walk through the former Jewish Quarter and Mikveh of Casa Bianca
- Noto and its catacombs
- Almond farm and biscotti di mandorla lesson
- Flour mill: scacce and 'mpanate
- Hyblaean farm feast with fresh pasta
- Olive oil estate and farewell seafood dinner
Before you go
Eat the region first, then cook it. Everything here is free and saves to your trip.
Who leads it
Leah Koenig
IACP Award-winning author of seven cookbooks including The Jewish Cookbook; her book Portico won the 2024 IACP International Cookbook award.
Mauro Castorina
Raised between Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea; has worked with local farms and wineries.
Angelo
Leads the group on the ground.
Alessandro
Historian and archaeologist leading the Ortigia walk.
Day by day
- Day 1ArrivalWelcome drink, introductions and dinner at a contemporary bistro starting with caponata.
- Day 2OrtigiaMarket walk and cooking class, walking tour with a historian including the Jewish Quarter, aperitivo.
- Day 3Noto and almondsBaroque Noto and its catacombs, then an almond farm with lunch.
- Day 4RagusaWater-powered flour mill, Ragusa Ibla and cannoli.
- Day 5Mountain farmAncient grains, fresh pasta, herd tour and a feast.
- Day 6Archaeology and oilNeapolis park, olive oil estate lunch, farewell seafood dinner in Ortigia.
- Day 7DepartureCheck out.
Itineraries can shift with weather, season and host availability.
What is included
Included
- Six nights' lodging
- Daily breakfast
- Meals, activities and transportation listed in the itinerary
- Gratuities
- Dinner coupon at the hotel restaurant Gutkowskino
Not included
- International travel
- Transfers to and from the airport
Practical details
- Where you base
- Ortigia (Siracusa), with day trips to Noto, Ragusa and the Hyblaean Mountains
- Where you stay
- Hotel Gutkowski, a small family-run 3-star boutique hotel steps from the sea in Ortigia; six nights with a welcome package.
- Group size
- Maximum 12 participants
- Pace
- Steady. Up to an hour or more of walking a day, at times on hills, uneven ground or stairs, with frequent getting in and out of vehicles. Guests must keep up with the group unassisted.
- Arrival and departure
- Hotel in Ortigia on Day 1; no airport meeting point published
- Who it suits
- Travelers curious about Sicily's Jewish culinary history who enjoy hands-on, slow food days.
Good to know
- Not strictly kosher, but avoiding pork and shellfish is not a problem
- Traditional dishes often include gluten, fish, meat and cheese. Guests with restrictions are always fed but may not get the full range of the food culture; flexibility needed.
- Waitlist only when checked
- Itinerary subject to change
Dates and prices
EUR 5,900 per person double; EUR 6,800 single (EUR 900 supplement).
More trips in Sicily
Trip details are compiled from the published information of Via Rosa, who runs this trip. Dates, prices and availability change; we reconfirm everything with you before you commit.
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