Cooking Classes in Oaxaca
Learn how to make tortillas from the corn kernels, the ancestral Nixtamal process, and salsas to make a foundation for other traditional meals. This is a real cooking class, not a tasting.
Let’s prepare the traditional moles of Oaxaca (Mole Negro, Pipian, Amarillo, Coloradito) leaving out the lard and the chicken broth. The flavors of the peppers, seeds and fruits are the ones giving us the real taste of those delicious moles.
Mexican food doesn’t have to have meat. From pipian, to enchiladas, passing by soups and salsas. All of them can be prepared with a plant-based list of ingredients. Vegan options are available too.
Fellow Cooks and Food Passionates
Oaxaca Street Food Tour
If you’re looking for a food tour in Oaxaca planned by a local that grew up in the markets, don’t miss out on Betsy‘s Become Local for a Day tour. You can also read her story here.
Cocina Prehispánica en Fogón
Vicky is a traditional cook with 18 years of experience. She’s located close to the Monte Albán archeological site. In her kitchen you’ll be in contact with nature. She learned from her grandmother, her mother, and from family friends. Her cooking classes are an authentic Oaxacan cooking experience.
Proyecto Parutz'
Edizon is a youth Mayan Kaqchikel from San Andrés Semetabaj, Guatemala. Founder of Proyecto Parutz’. agroforesty engineer and currently studying Environment and Ecology Masters. He and his family do independent research about food systems and their relationship with land defense.
Respect to the Land
Mexican ancestral gastronomy has a foundation of herbs and plants. It received new ingredients brought by the Spanish colonizers. The development of this cuisine included new elements as in pork or beef; also, grains like wheat, rice, lentils, and other products like bananas and lime. However, Mexican territory is diverse and has many faces. Either if you go to a taco stand in Mexico City or you eat in a town in Oaxaca. If you happen to be or plan to be here, you are in luck since this region has one of the highest biodiversity. Oaxaca is one of the places in Mexico where you can still find fresh organic produce in the markets. If you are planning to travel inside Mexico or moved here, and you are interested in Mexican gastronomy, taking a cooking class in Oaxaca is a must to-do in your list. It’s no coincidence that this area is famous for its diverse gastronomy.
The Corn of Oaxaca
Oaxaca has eight different regions with different food cultures. With diverse influences and a wide variety of dishes in each one of them.
One of the main ingredients that compound Oaxaca and Mexico’s gastronomy is corn, which is the foundation of many cultures here. We care about this, especially if we consider the current state of our country’s dietary policies. For more than two decades, the government dependencies responsible for dictating food labeling and market regulations have colluded with big corporations. To increase their profits by manipulating the laws making them more flexible to sell products that are not what we would expect according to the labels. Especially fruit juices, wholemeal bread, or canned tuna fish. (Source)