🌍 Family Project: Global Cooking Tour — Travel the World Without Leaving Your Kitchen
Travel the world without leaving your kitchen… well except for fetching all the delicious ingredients! One of the most flavorful ways to learn about the world is through its food.
In our homeschool, we’re always looking for ways to bring culture, geography, history, and hands-on learning together. That’s why we started a Global Cooking Tour — a delicious project that combines family bonding, cultural appreciation, and education all in one.
And the best part? You don’t need a passport, just an apron and a little curiosity!
🍴 What is a Global Cooking Tour?
A Global Cooking Tour is a family project where you choose a different country or region and cook a traditional meal together while learning about the culture behind it. Each meal becomes a mini cultural adventure filled with storytelling, sensory experiences, and learning. Two of my favorite classes in highschool were Home Economics… and you guessed it Culinary! I’ll never forget culinary class teaching us dishes from around the world.
📚 What We Learn Along the Way:
Geography: Locate the country on a map or globe.
History & Culture: Learn about the people, traditions, holidays, or events.
Language: Learn a few greetings or food-related words.
Math: Measure ingredients, convert units, and budget for the meal.
Science: Talk about how cooking changes food, fermentation, spices, and plants.
Life Skills: Cooking, cleaning, teamwork, patience, and trying new things.
🥘 How to Start Your Own Global Cooking Tour
1. Pick a Country
Let each family member take turns choosing a country. You can use a globe, book, or even draw countries from a jar.
2. Research Together
Learn about the traditional foods, ingredients, eating customs, and how meals are shared in that culture.
🌟 Make it visual: Print the country’s flag, draw local landmarks, or color a map.
3. Choose a Dish
Pick a recipe that fits your family’s dietary needs (we often adjust for gluten-free, dairy-free, or no tomatoes). Focus on one main dish, or go all out with appetizers, drinks, or dessert!
4. Cook as a Team
Assign simple roles:
One chops
One stirs or measures
One sets the table and decorates with colors or music from that country
Cooking together builds connection and confidence—no matter the age.
5. Enjoy and Reflect
Eat mindfully and talk about what you’ve learned.
What did you like?
What surprised you?
Would you visit this country someday?
✏️ Bonus idea: Keep a “Global Food Passport” or scrapbook with photos, recipes, and memories.
🌍 Sample Itinerary (Meal Ideas to Try)
🇲🇽 Mexico – Tacos with handmade tortillas, guacamole, and agua fresca (living here in California this has become a regular for us)
🇳🇬 Nigeria – Jollof rice, plantains, and pepper sauce (African countries are our FAVORITE!🤤)
🇯🇵 Japan – Sushi rolls or miso soup with rice and chopsticks
🇯🇲 Jamaica – Ackee & saltfish (or veggie version), callaloo, and festival bread
🇮🇳 India – Chana masala, rice, and coconut chutney
🇲🇦 Morocco – Chickpea tagine with couscous and mint tea
🇧🇷 Brazil – Black bean stew (feijoada), rice, and orange slices
💬 Why We Love It
This project isn’t just about food — it’s about connection. We laugh, we get messy, we taste something new, and we walk away with a deeper appreciation for the beautiful diversity of the world.
It helps our children grow up as open-hearted global citizens… one bite at a time.