Recently, I had the true pleasure of visiting Spain’s island of Mallorca. Among my many wonderful experiences was meeting Luis Matas Van Bockel, the owner of MOLTAK Kitchen Life, where participants get hands-on cooking experiences (and dinner afterword) inside a centuries-old windmill in the heart of Palma Mallorca. The classes are a great way for Real Food Travelers to get to know the stories behind, and flavors of, the local cuisine. Be sure to see our YouTube video below, too, to see some of the class in action.

Save this podcast article about a unique cooking experience in Mallorca to Pinterest to help you plan your own local culinary visit. Photos and graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

Podcast: Talking “Local Cuisine” in Mallorca with Luis Matas Van Bockel of MOLTAK

Listen to my conversation with Luis by clicking on the player below. As the rest of my group in the kitchen-dining area enjoyed their conversation over post-class dinner, Luis and I sat in a lounge area with floor-to-ceiling windows as passersby stopped to watch us recording.

MOLTAK is located within a renovated windmill that pre-dates Mallorcan maps from the 1200s!

As Luis explains, the culinary experience business is a dream come true for the chef and restaurateur who left a career as a lawyer to follow his dreams. Housed in a windmill that pre-dates maps of the 1200s in Mallorca, there are two stylish kitchen/dining areas separated by a comfortable lounge area, like a living room. Guests pre-register for any of a variety of classes which include wine, cooking instruction and information about the regions the various dishes come from. Some tasting happens during the course of the demonstration but once everything is prepared, the group and instructor sit down at a long table for a delicious, multi-course meal of everything everyone pitched in to make. Strangers become friends and conversation flows easily and joyfully.

Luis instructs me on cutting Mallorca’s beloved sausage, Sobrassada, to make Suquet de Sobrassada.

The first dish we made in our “Spanish Cooking Course” was Suquet de Sobrassada. The authentic sausage, a favorite in Mallorca, is somewhat soft and spreadable. The tapas Luis taught me to make was simply sauteed subrassada, to break it down a bit, a little water, honey and red wine vinegar. We spread that over rounds of toasted bread. It was delicious!

My contribution to our Spanish Cooking Course meal was Suquet de Sobrassada, a quick and tasty tapas.

The kitchen is prepped and ready for class participants within the renovated windmill.

The class experience is about three hours long and includes wine and the meal afterword.

Luis gives travel writer Abbey Algiers tips on cutting techniques.

Like many students at MOLTAK, travel writer Max Hartshorne shares a laugh with fellow participants during a class at MOLTAK.

To learn more about MOLTAK, and to schedule a class when visiting (Luis recommends doing so at least one month in advance), visit their website, here.

My thanks to fellow travel writers Abbey Algiers, Max Hartshorne and Kristin Henning for letting me include them in this article and the video below.

-Story and photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough, publisher and managing editor of RealFoodTraveler.com and host of the Real Food Traveler podcast.

Please note: As is common practice in our industry, our group of travel writers were hosted for our visit to Moltak. However, as is always our policy at RealFoodTraveler.com, that does not influence our opinions which we present for the informational benefit for our readers.