Hands On night Mexican Cooking with Masa

This evening class in Mérida is built around one ingredient that sits at the centre of Yucatecan cooking: masa, the corn dough behind tortillas, empanadas and many other regional dishes. Instead of watching a demonstration, you cook. The session lasts about 180 minutes and takes place in a local home rather than a restaurant kitchen, so the setting is closer to a family dinner than a formal lesson.

The experience starts in Mérida’s historic center, from where you head to the host’s house. Once there, you learn how to prepare and season your own dough. That dough then becomes the base of the meal: empanadas filled with chaya and cheese, crispy salbutes and fresh handmade tortillas. Chaya is a leafy green widely used in the Yucatán Peninsula, so the empanadas are a good way to taste something you will not find in every kitchen in Mexico.

Alongside the masa dishes you also prepare a spicy habanero salsa and a lemonade, which gives you a sense of how the heat of the salsa and a cool drink are balanced at the table. When the cooking is done, everyone sits down to eat what they made, and the meal closes with a sweet Yucatecan treat. Beers and agua frescas are part of the evening.

This class suits travelers who like to learn by doing and who want to understand a regional cuisine rather than just order from it. Because the technique is centred on masa, it is also useful if you would like to recreate tortillas or salbutes at home. Keep in mind that the operator does not recommend the activity for travelers with poor cardiovascular health, and that infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap.

On the practical side, the price covers all cooking ingredients, the dinner you prepare, beers and agua frescas, local bus transportation, drop-off transportation and an English-speaking guide. Additional drinks and tips to the guide are not included. Public transportation options are available nearby. The source does not list a meeting point, so confirm it when you book.