A Colorado trout is poaching on your stove top, but which do you add to make the most of its flavor: alderwood-smoked sea salt, Murray River salt, or black lava salt? And how do you jazz up an ordinary caprese salad, or even a crème brûlée?

Let Dan Hayward, owner and managing partner of the Savory Spice Shop‘s Boulder location, be your guide. Hayward has teamed up with the Culinary School of the Rockies to teach home cooks the nuances of salt, peppercorns, cocoa, and paprika. The classes are held one night a month from January through April—and at $25 apiece (or $75 for all four) they make a perfect holiday gift for an aspiring foodie.

Culinary School of the Rockies: Table Mesa Shopping Center, 637 S. Broadway, Boulder, 303-494-7988

Savory Spice Shop: Multiple locations