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It may not be possible to dine out for many people around the world at the moment, but with the help of modern technology, you can now learn how to cook your own delicious meals with online tutelage from international chefs.

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Announced by Japanese company airKitchen, their new airKitchen LIVE platform hosts online private cooking classes with hosts from all over the world. Guests can be taught their favourite plates and get insight into how to make traditional dishes over Zoom and Skype direct from locals from the safety of home. There are currently over 60 online cooking classes registered on the website, offering users the chance to learn how to cook Japanese, Italian, Polish and Vietnamese dishes before sitting down to enjoy a virtual meal with their host. All hosts speak English in an effort to make the website accessible to international food lovers.

Japanese gyoza on white background
Japanese gyoza are amongst the lessons on the platform © Nortongo / Getty Images
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Many hosts include necessary ingredients and cooking supplies, as well as details about what the virtual cooking class will look like in their listings. After sending a booking request, guests can communicate directly with their host to decide on scheduling across time zone differences and what preparations are needed. Since hosts don’t have to prepare their homes or ingredients for guests, online cooking classes are typically less expensive than in-person classes.

“As a business that normally operates as a booking platform for travellers for cooking classes with locals in Japan and around the world, we’ve had to quickly pivot and adapt to this new world we find ourselves in. As fear and anxiety run high around the world, it's an important time to encourage engagement with cultures different from our own. Food and cooking have always been an excellent opportunity for intimate cultural exchange,” a representative of airKitchen told Lonely Planet.

More information is available at the official airKitchen website.

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