Airbnb Experiences Launches “Cooking” To Unlock The Hidden Culinary Traditions Of Every Family

Today, we’re unveiling Cooking on Airbnb Experiences – a brand new category of bookable experiences that gives people access to recipes and traditions typically reserved for friends and family in local communities around the world.

To ensure that no two recipes are the same, each experience has been vetted against guidelines inspired by Slow Food, a grassroots organization whose mission is to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions. Through this vetting process, we have verified that each host of an Airbnb Experience communicates the unique nature of every dish through their personal stories and has proven a deep knowledge of the heritage of the cuisine that they share. To complement this partnership, Slow Food is also introducing over 20 special Airbnb Cooking Experiences that perfectly align with its principles of good, clean and fair – including Walk Cook & Eat in the Amalfi Coast and ‘Let’s Rescue Food’ in Cartagena, Colombia.

Through Cooking on Airbnb Experiences, we are providing a new way to understand culture through food. This has opened up the opportunity for Emirati Airbnb Host, Maitha Essa, to launch her first ever Emirati Cooking Experience. Maitha wants to uncover an Emirati journey through a meal. Guests will have a chance to enter an Emirati kitchen and learn about spices and ingredients while interacting with the family and enjoy the meal in a local setting, which reflects the rich hospitality of the culture.

“With Airbnb launching a new opportunity for guests to explore the culture through Cooking Experiences, it has inspired me to create and tailor a new experience that is specific and handcrafted to “Emirati Traditional Food”.”  Maitha Essa, Emirati Airbnb Host said. “This Experience will be one of a kind for guests to cook Emirati traditional food with my mother who will walk them through everything they need to know about the cuisine. I really can’t wait to host guests to taste our delicious and traditional homemade cooked food.”

Unlike typical cooking classes, which can feel intimidating or time-consuming, at the heart of every experience is human connection; people coming together to make and share a meal together. Hosted by passionate cooks who are, above all, keepers of culinary traditions, there is a notable opportunity for everyday people to share the recipes that have defined their households for generations, while earning extra income from a flexible side hustle.

Alongside workshops, tastings, field visits and lessons from UNISG professors, there will also be hands on lessons from one of our most booked hosts on the platform, Nonna Nerina, who has earned over $150,000 just by welcoming travelers to the Roman countryside to learn about her and her family’s love of pasta-making. With hosts like Nonna, it’s no wonder bookings of Airbnb’s food and drink Experiences have been growing at a rate of 170 percent year-over-year since 2018. Our new Cooking category brings together the very best of our platform with brand new Airbnb Experiences in over 75 countries worldwide.

“We are happy to provide guidance for Airbnb hosts and offer dedicated training for people to refine their family recipes and become quality and sustainability advocates. Airbnb Cooking Experiences represent a unique opportunity to spread our urgent call for sustainability standards and food biodiversity protection across the globe, reaching new audiences and inspiring change in the entire food and tourism sector. We have a long-term commitment to ensure that travel experiences remain authentic and help travellers learn about local communities and raise awareness about sustainable food practices”. Paolo Di Croce – Slow Food Secretary General

At launch there are over 3,000 Cooking Experiences on Airbnb. Hosted by grandmas, farmers, pastry cooks and more, local hosts can now unlock the deeper meaning behind the food you eat, teaching traditional recipes and sharing personal stories in intimate settings around the world.