Isthmus Cooking Classes: Discover Unique Flavors and Experience Tehuana Culture
5.0
37 Ratings
Oaxaca de Juárez
Join Betsaida in her hands-on cooking class in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, and discover unique flavors from the Tehuana culture. Learn traditional dishes and explore the local market for fresh ingredients. No cooking skills required!
Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • 56J7+PM La Capellanía - Firstly, we’ll meet on a specific point, we’ll go to a local market to get the freshest ingredients that we’ll cook according to the day’s menu. Then, we’ll go to my house where I’ll teach you to make all the dishes from start to end. After that, we’ll eat & enjoy together all the food we cooked, we’ll enjoy it with artisanal mezcales, fresh waters, beers, mezcal cocktails. At the end of the class I’ll drop you off to your hotel.
What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Bottled water
  • Lunch
  • Snacks
  • Tea and coffee
  • Alcoholic Beverages
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Meal Options
  • Molotes de plátano
  • Garnachas
  • Lechecilla
Additional Information

Hi I’m Betsaida originally from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, I want to invite you to my house in a hands-on cooking class to get to know & discover unique flavors from the Isthmus gastronomy, while you learn about the Tehuanas & our culture.

I’ll teach you to cook the most traditional & outstanding dishes that I’ve learnt through generations in my family & the ones that will be easy to make when you come back home.

Part of this class is to visit a local Market where you’ll know how get the freshest, local & exotic ingredients that we’ll cook.

It’s no necessary to have cooking skills, but come ready to get fun, cook and eat.

  • We’re LGBTQ friendly.
  • Every participant in our experience is important and therefore we offer a few spaces in our experiences, so please make sure to read the Cancellation Policies; once you have paid you will be accepting them:

    • If any of the participants arrive drunk or with hangover symptoms at the meet up, we’ll ask for to leave for everybody’s comfort and for the person itself and the ticket payment won’t be refunded.
    • It’s super important and your responsibility that you take care of yourself from any type of illness, stomachaches or hangovers. There’s no refund from any of the previous topics.
    • If someone is detected with 37 ºC of fever or more, will be invited to rest in his/her hotel & the money will be refunded.
    • Tour bookings are fully refundable up to 72 hours before your tour date.
    • Cancellation won’t be refunded if it is made within 72 hours before the start date or on the meet up time day of the tour.
    • If guests cancel part of the experiences during the tour, there won’t be any refund.
  • * A change of date is no problem, as long as there is availability with previous request of 1 month as minimum or even longer. We can also swap your tour into a different date if there’s availability by letting us to know with prior time .
    • Customers will also receive a full refund in case of operator cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances like a strong protest, social riot or natural disaster; we can also swap you into a different tour if there’s availability, otherwise this will be refunded .
    • Me Encanta Oaxaca reserves the right to cancel or modify itineraries, schedules, and excursions for causes beyond its control, with no responsibility other than to refund the amount paid by the guest, total or partial, as the case may be.
    • Me Encanta Oaxaca will not be responsible for delays, irregularities, and damages caused by third parties, as well as for social or natural events beyond its control.
    • Me Encanta Oaxaca apologizes for any eventual delay due to traffic on the roads, protests, closing of roads.
    • Me Encanta Oaxaca is not responsible for the loss of valuables in public or private transport vehicles due to the customer’s carelessness.

  • Face mask is required to get in the market.
  • The body temperature is taken at the meet up.
  • This tour is NOT SUITABLE FOR VEGANS or VEGETARIANS.
  • This tour is NOT SUITABLE FOR BABIES OR UNDER 12 YEARS OLD.
  • If you have food allergies or food restrictions, you should mentioned 3 DAYS BEFORE OUR TOUR to do accommodations.
  • If you let us know about your allergies or restrictions a days before or at the meet up, there won’t be any change in the menu according to your food restrictions on the day of the tour.
  • Menu subject to change depending on availability
  • We suggest not making an early lunch reservation or any type of reservation before 5 pm on the day of your tour
  • * If you have health or walking difficulties, if there are kids or babies and don’t want to miss this activity for you and your loved ones, WE CAN ADDAP IT TO YOUR NEEDS IN A PRIVATE ACTIVITY with a different cost. JUST CONTACT US to tailor it just for you!!! *
Location
Jardín Carbajal
Calle Macedonio Alcalá
Cardín Carbajal is close to Santo Domingo Church, at the end of the pedestrian street to the north. We'll meet up and drop you off at the only fountain at Jardín Carbajal, I'll be carrying a beige or black tote bag.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(37 Ratings)
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Dcgirl79
Apr 9, 2024
the best way to spend my birthday! - this cooking class was a wonderful way to spend a day in oaxaca (and how i chose to spend my birthday this year)! betsaida was a fantastic host and teacher, educating us about all the ingredients that we picked up in the market. everything was colorful and delicious! she has the kitchen set up in stations that our class of 6 people (which is the max class size) rotated through - so we all got to do a little bit of everything. there were snacks and guacamole and salsa and drinks available throughout, plus we made and decorated empanadas and mole’. lots of fun, so much food. i highly recommend this class!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
163betseyh
Oct 30, 2023
Fantastic class/tour!! - There were alot of cooking classes to choose from in Oaxaca and I am so glad I selected this one! It was a fantastic experience, start to finish and Betsaida is an extremely vivacious, knowledgeable guide and cook. We met at the market where she expertly guided us in the purchase of ingredients for the meal we would make. She also helped me purchase local honey and Chiapas coffees. Back at the cooking kitchen, we (my husband and I and our 12 & 16 year old daughters) all very much enjoyed cooking mole, quesadillas, salsas, enchiladas, etc. My 12 year old even tried the snacks: chapulines and flying ants. My husband and I have taken quite a few community cooking classes in the US and this by far was a unique and informative experience, with new ingredients and techniques. I highly recommend any of Me Encanta Oaxaca's classes or tours as it will undoubtedly enrich your understanding and appreciation of Oaxacan culture.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Slf540
Aug 13, 2023
Great cooking class - We have taken many cooking classes in Oaxaca. Prior to the class, Betsy allowed us to choose a dish that we wanted to cook. We chose a plantain dish because we can get them in Texas. The class was attended by myself, my husband and a family of three from Norway. We worked on many dishes so when we were done we had a feast. Betsy gave easy to understand instructions, and we cooked in her outdoor kitchen. All of our dishes were great and we throughly enjoyed the class!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nina
Jul 31, 2023
Betsaida made our day - This was definitely our best day in Oaxaca. First we went together to the market to do some shopping for the cooking. Then Batsaida drove us all to her home where we made snacks and a three course meal. One of those was black mole. It was great fun, with very good guidance from Betsaida. Even our 16 year old daughter thought it was great. Definitely worth the time and money, and a memorable day from our trip to Mexico.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yukiko_m
Jul 9, 2023
Amazing cooking class - This was one of the best experiences we’ve had in Mexico! You not only get a tour of the market to buy your food to make a three course meal but also learn about the history of why food.
Review provided by Viator
Veram14
Jul 3, 2023
Absolutely delicious and in great company! - Went for a cooking class with Betsy and it was the best meal I had in Oaxaca! We cooked different dishes with pre-Hispanic roots, tasted Betsys homemade chocolate and hot cocoa, had mezcal that was perfectly paired with the food we made and can say I learned a lot of cooking skills I will use back home. Of all the cooking classes you can take this feels very local, authentic and will not disappoint your tastebuds!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Skyeforbes
May 12, 2023
Highlight of our trip to Mexico! - Highly recommend, what a fun day! Absolutely loved this cooking class! It was a highlight of our trip to Oaxaca . Betsaidas passion for Oaxaca culture and cooking really shines through in her classes, the food was so delicious. The whole experience of shopping local, cooking & eating our yummy creations together made for a truly memorable Mexican experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kenmc97201
Apr 17, 2023
Best food tour on the planet! - Wow, wow, wow! Best cooking class ever! We took the Me Encanta Oaxaca food tour previously, and were so impressed with Betsaida that we decided to do her Cooking Class too. And we are so glad that we did! From the moment she picked us up, to the stroll through the local market collecting fresh ingredients (produce, meat, cheese), to the preparation of several delicious courses in her home kitchen...everything was amazing! We prepared two appetizers, a main dish and a dessert...and enjoyed authentic Mexican coffee, local beer and mezcal as we cooked and ate. And we learned about the culture of Oaxaca throughout the day. It was an unforgettable experience, and we highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Mexican food and spending time in the kitchen making delicious dishes!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarasv4191vu
Mar 12, 2023
Awesome experience! - Class with Betsy was excellent! You can do the class in Spanish or English, and it was a great way to practice my Spanish and learn more about Oaxaca from a local perspective. The food we made was delicious and Betsy was a great instructor. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vawny88
Feb 6, 2023
A joyful, soulful food experience - The cooking class with Betsaida has been a highlight of our trip in Mexico, and is one of the best classes I've ever taken, full-stop. We could really feel Betsaida's spirit and beautiful energy through the food we made and shared together. This was much more just a cooking class -- it was a joyful cultural and spiritual experience. Betsaida is an amazing host, chef and teacher, and shared so much of her heart and soul with us. She shared with us the significance of mole negro in Oaxaca, and how her recipe is a combination of both her mother and mother-in-law's recipes. We used a mortar and pestle that has been in her husband's family for multiple generations. We used herbs and spices that grow only in Oaxaca. It made our meal that much more special. The mole itself was delicious - the best I've ever had, with such depth and complexity. Betsaida paced the class really well, and all of us in the class (there were 4 of us in total) were able to try our hand at every step of the process - from roasting chiles to grinding seeds to frying plantains and many more steps in preparing our multi-course meal. This was an unforgettable experience, and such a joyful one. We had only three days in Oaxaca, and this was a full day excursion - and well-worth it! It was THE highlight of our short trip. I wholeheartedly recommend this class. We're already planning our trip back and hope to try Betsaida's other offerings, such as her food tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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1 Adult
June 2024
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