Hualien Cooking Classes

We had a great time with Sofia. She told us a lot about indigenous culture in Taiwan and all the products we cooked with. The food was delicious and an absolute feast - we couldn’t even finish it all! It was a lot of fun to cook with several plants we hadn’t seen or cooked with before. Definitely recommend.

We were a group of five touring Taiwan. We have found one of the best ways to understand another culture is through their food. Sofia and Monica run this classes from s small shop front in Hualien. There are also two small (and very cute) dogs and a friendly cat that participate, which was great for some of us whom were missing our own pets. We were taken thought the ingredients which included some used by the local indigenous people, the Amis, including venison and several local vegetables. We all participated in preparing and cooking a couple of dishes which we then consumed together, all the while under the direction, and watch full eyes, of our hosts. The size of the group worked well - they can accommodate up to eight but over six would have been less involvement for each participant. The experience was fun as well as educative. Would recommend this course

We had an amazing cooking experience…all the food was delicious! Such a great time.

We had a wonderful cooking experience with Sofia in Hualien. It was just the two of us and Sofia took her time to explain us all the ingredients and cooking procedure. We especially liked that we could have one vegetarian meal for me and one "normal" for my boyfriend. Thank you for accommodating :) we also had a nice chat with Sofia about the aborigines and Taiwan in general. We highly recommend this cooking class!

We were lucky to have a 1-on-2 session with our host during off-season. She introduced the local vegetables used by the indigenous community, especially the Amis, before instructing us how to cook several light and healthy dishes (we opted for a vegetarian meal). Thanks for the delicious experience!

We had a spectacular time cooking with Sofia at Karenko Cooking Class! We cooked delicious Amis and Bunun cuisines. They were incredibly fun to cook and delicious to eat. Sofia was patient, supportive, and an excellent instructor. We had a lot of fun and I highly recommend this class to anyone in Hualien. Thank you Sofia, we hope to come back soon!

Sofia’s Karenko cooking class in Hualien was excellent. She’s a wonderful teacher and host , with fluent English and Mandarin. We learned about indigenous cuisine and culinary culture while cooking with fresh local ingredients, finished with a delicious meal!

We had a great time and learned a lot about indigenous plants and foods. We’re vegetarian and our host brought a delightful and interesting mix of native vegetables to try and prepare. We really enjoyed our time and the company!!

I’ve done a few cooking classes around the world and this was easily the best. The host, Sophia, was so brilliant and speaks excellent English. More than just cooking a meal, she shared stories of her culture and family history, creating a connection between us, the food, and the land. I learned a new way of cooking ginger, my husband explored new food (snails!), and we had such a good time. The techniques were easy for all skill levels. Highly, highly recommend to anyone visiting Hualien.

The kitchen is clean and well organized. Sofia, who speaks good English, had laid out the ingredients. She explained everything very well. We prepared the food together and cooked it. It was very interesting and easy. Sofia explained the indigenous foods in detail. She understands a lot about culture! My wife and I enjoyed the experience. We would recommend it to anyone who enjoys cooking and is interested in Taiwanese food.

Thank you so much for the time and effort you put in to make our cooking experience one we will always remember. We learnt so much about making meals not only tasty but also a visual explosion. Such a fun experience and one I highly recommend.

The aboriginal cooking class with Sophia was just amazing! We loved hearing about the history and culture these of people and their food. Sophia brought it to life - everything was so beautifully presented, and the class moved in a very organized fashion. Seeing the result of her gathering and shopping at the local markets was so beautiful, and informative. We spent 2.5 weeks in Taiwan, and this experience was a highlight. And the finished lunch was fantastic - very different from other things we know Taiwan to be famous for. I'd recommend this class to anyone visiting the great town of Hualien!

Sofia showed us how to cook several delicious aboriginal dishes and made us feel like friends at a house gathering. She is a very helpful and articulate person, and we would love to repeat this class with her next time we are in Hualien. Highly recommended!!

We had a brilliant time learning and chatting with our cooking instructors. They were kind and funny, and we learned a lot about the indigenous foods of the Hualien area. Would recommend it to anyone no matter their confidence in the kitchen!

We discussed and used various ingredients and seasonings, most of which were new to me and the other guests. The chef-instructors were engaging and informative and everyone participated in the preparation and cooking — and of course, eating! There were no written materials but most of the ingredients were very local and in some cases from the wild, so recipes would not be useful. The class is a window into indigenous and Taiwanese eating, which I highly recommend. (PS The food was delicious!).