Unique fantastic experience - Pimenta is a piece of heaven - peaceful, yet busy. Jacob and his team of Madhu (a Masterchef in the kitchen) and Jomy (a Masterdriver in Indian traffic) ensure... read more you have a wonderful educational slice of Kerala life. The cooking classes are completely hands on - you will prepare the dishes - and enjoy the feast you have prepared as dinner. And a feast it is...! Then the visits outside of Pimenta are a treat - with Cacao processing plants, Kerala weaving, Pottery factories, Coconut oil processing, ice cream making, spice shops, rubber elastic bands factory to name but a few. The gardens and plant life is tremendous starting with the rubber tree production, to coffee beans, nutmeg, tumeric, I cannot even remember them all. The accomodation is great, clean, nice bathrooms and a wonderful balcony to enjoy the plant scenery. If you are wanting to experience a slice of Indian life, and come away with cooking skills and spice knowledge together with wonderful memories, you will not find a better place then The Pimenta. There is also a chocolate making course which is on my plans for my next trip....

  An incredible experience - Our stay with Jacob was almost completely positive, and I would not want the 4 stars to discourage you. We booked the 3 night program. It may seem expensive compared... read more to other activities in Kerala but the value for money is fantastic. Jacob picked us up from nearby Muvattupuzha where we’d just got off the bus. We got treated to Lime Soda at a local cafe and then drove to The Pimenta. It’s a beautiful property on a steep hill. The kitchen is a foodie’s heaven, with jars of spices and pulses lining the walls, and a myriad of pots, pans, and kitchen gadgets. The dining room is relaxing and spacious, and the accommodation is delightful, up steep garden steps through bright green vegetation.

The cooking: You follow printed recipes quite strictly, with all food preparation, serving, and washing-up done for you by Madhu (not sure of spelling), Jacob’s kitchen employee. This wasn’t quite what we were expecting. Jacob clearly has respect for him, and bows to his expertise when making Dosa for example, but we felt slightly sorry that he didn’t join us at the table. It also meant that we didn’t learn how to cook some of the simpler parts of a meal, such as rice and popadom. That might sound a strange thing to bemoan, but with hundreds of ways to cook rice, I am always interested in a local perspective. I do understand Jacob’s philosophy here though, which is that we are on holiday, and should be relaxed, and rather than concentrating on menial tasks, we can focus on the complex flavours of the chutneys, dahls, sambars etc. Maybe I am unusual though (coming from a cafe kitchen background) in wanting a more holistic approach to Keralan cooking. Be prepared to be spellbound by the incredible spices (none of which will blow your head off, don’t worry), lovely fresh fruit and veg, and a relaxed pace where your main concern is usually stirring, and being intoxicated by fantastic aromas. Eating your creations after they have cooled slightly is a wonderful experience. If you are from a colder climate and used to piping hot food, you’ll quickly realise it makes so much sense to eat food lukewarm here. It also means you get a short break before dinner to relax and be sociable with other guests. Our companion was Belgian, Koen, who was on a longer program and was very friendly.

Recreation: Outside of cooking times, you are free to relax, but if you have the energy I would highly recommend taking up Jacob’s itinerary ideas. This is hands down the BEST way to experience real Kerala. There is no commercial agenda unlike sightseeing in an auto-rickshaw, and Jacob or his driver have so many places they can take you to. In an all-expenses paid 3 day whirlwind we took in: eating out in a wonderful riverside restaurant, seeing cocoa drying (we bought roasted cacao nibs), a fruit and spice nursery (see if the workers will give you some fresh coconut!), rubber band factory, truck painting and panel carving (amazing), pineapple market, kitchen equipment shop, spice shops (take Jacob’s advice on the best places to buy each spice), snack shops, traditional pottery making, and weaving.

Some of the downsides for us were: We had made sure that Jacob was happy to cater the course to our vegan dietary requirements, and although the cooking was excellent and never felt lacking or compromised, there was a little too much debate for our liking. Jacob was quite opinionated on the subject, and although we are usually up for discussion, we really just wanted to cook and relax, and not have our values questioned on holiday. Although it appeared to be an honest mistake, Jacob had also served us toast for breakfast which contained milk. When he told us this, it didn’t really appear to be in the form of an apology, more during part of a discussion into the difficulty of being vegan in Kerala, which was disappointing. In fact, we found breakfasts very easy in our travels and loved the Dosa, Idli, and Appam served in home-stays.

Unfortunately, Jacob is a little jaded by previous bad reviews about his garden, and was a little unwilling to show us the plants that grow there in case of a poor review. Once he got going though, it was fascinating to hear his insight and obvious expertise and pride in growing his garden (don’t expect a farm), and I was really pleased he showed us round in the end.

To sum up, you won’t be disappointed with this, and it was the highlight of our trip. Jacob was so helpful with tourist advice for the rest of our trip (even drawing me a map for a morning 10K run), and also recipe advice since we returned! The gift of garden grown spices when we left was really sweet and he even lets you take your apron. Thanks so much Jacob, we learnt so much and had an amazing stay.

  Great stay packed with fun! - My brother and I stayed with Jacob! We had the best time! We did the 5 day stay with cooking classes. We got to travel to different spots with driver... read more and other guests which we simply would not have been able to do on our own.

We made different curries and accompaniments and chocolate!! We even got to visit a cocoa farm with tour.

Accom was very nice and comfortable. Only wish was that we got to do more of the cooking! (the nitty gritty of the cooking was done by assistant, however I wouldve liked to do more'for the full experience!)

-Rosie

  Amazing experience - Lovely people I had fun, it was very authentic and exotic, the food was delicious. I stayed for cooking course which was very professional and interesting. Highly recommend for families... read more and everyone. I hope to return

  Excellent stay and experience! - I stayed here with Jacob and his family on a solo travel trip for 3 nights - I was originally planning on staying for only 2 nights however decided to... read more then extend.

Jacob made this experience fantastic - from the amazing cooking classes, to the guided tours around the area and taking me out for local delicacies, the whole experience was fantastic and I highly recommended for anyone visiting Kerala, and specifically staying around Kochi.

I’d have an amazing 3 course meal everyday, which one of those meals was cooked by me with the helping hand of Jacob, and his amazing knowledge and passion for chocolate making was so brilliant to witness and I even experienced some chocolate making with him, from all natural, raw ingredients!

  Great cooking experience! - My girlfriend and I spent a day with Jacob and it was great! Not only did we get to eat delicious food, but also learned how to do it ourselves... read more in a fun and insightful way! Jacob was very attentive and kept us entertained the whole all day, driving us to an ice cream place and offering us a quick tour of local markets. At the end, he even offered us some spices to cook back home. Overall it was a great day! We totally recommend it.

  Highly recommend! - I did the 5 day cooking class with Jacob and had a wonderful time! Jacob is a super sweet and attentive host who will go out of his way to... read more make sure that you have a good time. He really tailors the program around the food you want to learn how to cook. The dishes were delicious, can’t wait to make them again at home! The day trips were great - giving you a slice of Kerala life by going to places that you wouldn’t find as a tourist. Finally, the lodging is lovely - I don’t think the pics do it justice! I slept so well in the spacious bungalows under the trees. Highly recommend the entire experience!

  Pimenta Spice Gardens - What a wonderful experience I had when I took a week-long cooking class with Jacob here! This spot, amidst a restored forest, is absolutely beautiful. Jacob took me... read more on trips throughout the area, including rubber-making estates, truck-painting shops, local restaurants, waterfalls, and much more. Couldn't have been more pleased!

  5 day cooking programme - unmissable for anyone who wants to master Indian vegetarian cuisine! - Jacob really was the host with the most! From our arrival he was generous, kind and enthusiastic to help us. The cooking course itself was beyond our expectations - Jacob... read more makes a point of guiding by voice whilst allowing you to get to grips with all the hands on aspects of the meal preparation. His experienced assistant takes care of the ingredient preparation so you can spend your time focusing on the more interesting parts of the cooking. Jacob can tailor your stay/cooking programme to exactly what you want - for us this meant cooking 8-12 dishes/day with one day visiting the notable attractions of the area, which he arranged at a rate cheaper than we would have been able to bargain for ourselves! In between cooking and eating stunning meals, Jacob drove us round his local town treating us to snacks, ice cream and other delicious food - all of which he paid for himself. He truly loves to share and will make you feel like you have chosen the

  Wonderful experience  - My Partner and I stayed at the Pimenta for 1 night doing the 30 hour cooking course - we had such a great time! The course was hands on in... read more the kitchen learning traditional Keralan dishes with the guidance from Jacob. His recipes are delicious and will definitely be making them at home. The bungalows are surrounded by beautiful nature. We would have loved to stay longer and cook more with Jacob!

  One of the best experience I had in India. Now I can enjoy cooking traditional south Indian cousine for my friends in Barcelona 🙂 If you are looking to live... read more a local, cultural and chill experience definetly go to The Pimenta. Jacob and his mom are lovely people.

  I was feeling absolutely safe as a single traveling woman. in 4 days I could see so many interesting places and learn so much about nature and indian live ... read more - this was very important for my. Through the stay at the pimenta farm I discovered very special places where I would have never went otherwise and got in contact with indian workers: rubber producing , truck paining, truck body making (I just love trucks and this also influenced the day tours ;)), pottery, weaving, special markets, and everywhere I could ask questions and got insights of living and working in Kerala. This was enriching my stay in India a lot. After 5 month in India I got the BEST FOOD here on the farm!!! Jacob and his team is amazing! I did not come here for cooking this time, but I plan come back with a group of friends for some workshop next year :).
Cottage as wonderful as described by all the other reviews. Just relax and enjoy the details!

  peaceful and delicious - I spent 5 days with my sister at the Pimenta. Most days we cooked and also went on various day trips. The food was delicious, working with Jacob... read more and Madu was really fun, and I learnt a lot, and Jacob was flexible in what we wanted to learn how to cook.
Unlike the tour we had done at the beginning of our holiday the day tours were relaxed, with no pressure to buy anything. It was lovely to see the different crafts of Kerala. We also took a tour to the backwaters, which despite the rain was beautiful and great for bird watching.
If you want a homely space to stay with excellent food and a chance to learn how to cook Keralan food then the Pimenta is for you.

  Incredible experience - don't think twice! - I hardly have the words to describe how wonderful The Pimenta cooking experience and holiday is. Jacob is a phenomenal host, chef, teacher, neighborhood guide, and now I can also... read more call him a friend. He went out of his way to ensure I was cooking what interested me and put together a custom recipe list, taught me excellent tips and tricks I'll take home, and we went straight into hands-on cooking to maximize our time together. We also visited interesting spots in the town - I really enjoyed the local markets, bakeries and grocery stories so I could get a real feel for where folks buy their ingredients and how to properly shop. Since leaving, we've stayed in touch and he's given me great recs for Kerala and beyond. It's clear a truly caring individual is behind The Pimenta.

As a solo female traveler making her way through India, I worry about finding places on Google without a personal reco. That's how I found The Pimenta, originally, but I was heartened to get a glowing reco of Jacob and The Pimenta from the owners of Vanilla County where I was staying beforehand, when I asked them about it. This sealed the deal for me and I'm so glad.

If you're on the fence, give The Pimenta a go! You'll enjoy yourself, gain a wealth of new knowledge and experience and dive into Keralan cooking and culture head first!

Thanks, Jacob, for everything - I'll be back!

  Foodie Paradise - This review is long overdue, but better late than never

I spent an incredible week at Pimenta and it was one of the most enjoyable cooking holidays I have... read more ever had.

Jacob took care of everything and really catered the recipes to what I wanted (Including Gulab jamun made from scratch)

I enjoyed the combination of morning markets, trying different restaurants for lunch (Sometime breakfast as well) and evening cooking.

I also appreciated that Jacob tried to source everything locally and really tries to get a good understanding of where the products we used to cook came from.

The recipes are a great and I have made so many back home again, with excellent results.

Pimenta is an Indian Foodie Paradise and is a must visit for any Foodie!

  I still fondly remember the time I spent there. - Jacob goes over and beyond to make this the best experience ever. He is a master chef and an expert on ingredients and cooking styles. The room I had was... read more spacious and pretty, the breakfast and dinners were excellent.

  I went to this amazing home stay in April.
Been there for 9 nights to explore the culinary of Karela.
I'm an Indian cooking chef in Israel who has workshops,... read more events and Indian parties business. Went to learn more about the traditional food of Karela in order to expand my knowledge.
Jacob was very kind as he taught me so much! Trough cooking classes and culinary sights around.
I highly recommend!

  Great taste of Kerla in a short distance from the Kochi airport - We stayed in the farm last december for a short three day period. Actually we only had those few days in between flights and wanted to feel a little bit... read more of real kerala life style. This was a great pick since Jacob is like the local friend who shows you around, so we got to see and experience a lot of the culture, local food and interesting places close to the farm which is only an hour away from the airport by taxi.
Rooms are medium size with a nice balcony and western standerds like hot water, toilet paper, soap, comfi bed etc.. The garden is more of a jungle where you can find a mix of varius spices growing freely (don't expact a plantation or a farm). The dining and hang-out area where meals are served is very inviting and you can just relax with a nice book or a good conversation with Jacob or the other guests.
Food at the farm is very good- not your typical south indian food, but more of a fusion of tasts from east and west using the local ingridients and the free immagination of who ever did the cooking that day. As experimental foodies we liked it a lot! Jacob also took us to try some local thali in one of his favorite places and it was excellent!
In summery, i feel like i saw a unique part of kerala that not many tourists get to see- its not the poverty you see in the streets of the big cities, and its not the plastic-fancy resorts reserved only for the privileged, here we got to see the reality of everyday lives and keralan culture and it was charming! Thank you Jacob for showing us around!