Mérida: Yucatecan Cooking Class

This Yucatecan cooking class in Mérida is a way into everyday local life through food. It lasts about 300 minutes and moves from a public market to a family kitchen, so you see where ingredients come from before you cook with them.

The morning begins at Lucas de Gálvez Market, one of the city's best-known markets. You walk its colorful aisles, take in the aromas and fresh products, learn about regional ingredients and taste traditional flavors. Together with your guide you choose the items you will use later in the cooking session.

You then travel by public transportation, as locals do, to a local home. In this family-style setting your host welcomes you and teaches you step by step how to prepare a traditional Yucatecan dish. As you cook, you hear stories, techniques and customs that form part of the region's cultural identity.

At the end you sit down to the meal you made, with refreshing drinks and the company of the group. The class is a good fit for travelers who like to learn by doing and who are comfortable with a local, informal setup rather than a restaurant kitchen.

The price includes ingredients, the workshop, which runs in English and Spanish, and the prepared meal. The source gives no fixed meeting point, so check your booking confirmation for the starting details.