Have you always wanted to learn how to prepare traditional Mexican cuisine? If so, why not sign up for a Cancun cooking class on your next trip? You’ll have a fun morning discovering the fascinating history of one of the world’s richest cuisines and you’ll soon appreciate why it is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. After the session, you’ll sit down at lunchtime to eat the tasty dishes you helped prepare.
Cancun cooking schools
Spend the morning at Yum Cooking School in Downtown Cancun and learn about fruit and vegetables native to Mexico, dishes and cooking techniques that date back to the pre-Hispanic period.
Following the Spanish Conquest in the 16th century, waves of settlers introduced new ingredients such as herbs, spices, sugar, coffee and citrus fruit from Europe and the Middle East. A Cordon Bleu-trained chef will show you how to make dishes from the pre-Hispanic and Colonial periods and contemporary Mexican recipes.
Chef Claudia Garcia and her husband are your hosts at Mi Cocina es Tu Cocina in the leafy Los Alamos neighborhood on the outskirts of Cancun. Claudia begins the class with an introduction to the staples in the Mexican diet, such as corn, beans, avocado and chili and continues with a demonstration of salsa and tortilla preparation.
A menu of starters, soup, a main course with side dishes and a dessert is prepared during the session. Claudia divides the country into five gastronomic regions and chooses a different one for each class.
Cooking school in the Puerto Morelos jungle
Spend the day at Mexico Lindo Traditional Kitchen, Workshop and School, a bright yellow jungle casita on the Ruta de los Cenotes, six kilometers inland from Puerto Morelos. With Chefs Alejandra and Tomas you’ll learn how to make traditional dishes from the Yucatan, Central Mexico or Veracruz and a selection of Mexican classics.
After a light breakfast of Mexican pastries, hot chocolate or café de olla, you’ll visit the organic garden to gather some of the vegetables, fruit and herbs that you’ll be using during the class.
There’s plenty of space in the cheerful yellow and pink kitchen for you to try your culinary skills cooking seven different recipes. There are five different class options ranging from Yucatecan specialties or seafood from the coasts to Mexican finger food and some of the country’s most famous dishes. You’ll also learn the secret of a good salsa; enjoy a pre-lunch botana or snack and a tequila tasting.
Lunch is served in the thatched palapa and there’s time to visit the little store and stock up on salsas, local honey, community products and Mexican crafts.
The other famous Puerto Morelos cooking school, the Little Mexican Cooking School is currently closed but private cooking classes with Chef Cristobal are still available through its website.
Booking your Mexican cooking class
Thomas More Travel offers Mexican cooking classes, visit www.thomasmoretravel.com or call in at the tour desk during your next Royal Resorts visit.
