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Merida Market Tour and Cooking Class
5h30
Class
Instant confirmation
About this activity
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Merida Tourism Office, Calle 56A No. 242 X 56B y 60 Tambien Llamada Avenida Campo Deportivo, Merida 97118 Mexico
Polish up your cooking skills on this Merida tour that takes you from market to table… literally! We’ll kick off your delicious Mexican food experience by taking you to the oldest local market, always filled with locals – tourists hardly ever set foot here, giving you an authentic local experience right from the get-go. Your local guide will explain to you the kind of fruits and vegetables only produced in this region, such as achiote, pepita de calabaza, and chile habanero. You will enjoy a real market experience as we shop for the meal we’re going to prepare, at the stands of very friendly local vendors who will allow us to try some habanero sauces, Yucatan spices, and local spirits. Watch how the locals around you buy food for their own cooking, and learn all about Mexican market customs and culture.
Yucatan cuisine is one of the most varied in Mexico, and the next part of your Merida food tour will give you the chance to cook it and eat it in the best way: as a family! While we prepare our food, your host and guide will explain some of the traditions of the locals, the influence of other cultures on the food of the Yucatan, and the differences between the Yucatecos and people from other parts of Mexico. Learn some Spanish and Mayan words while the food is being prepared and while you taste the delicious plates of yumminess as they are served. We’ll try dishes like salbutes, panuchos, lima soup, gorditas de chaya, and sip on horchata or hibiscus flower tea. With a belly full of delicious, authentic food and drink, we'll say goodbye to new friends and end this mouth-watering Merida experience.
Duration: 6 hours
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This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Merida Tourism Office, Calle 56A No. 242 X 56B y 60 Tambien Llamada Avenida Campo Deportivo, Merida 97118 Mexico
Polish up your cooking skills on this Merida tour that takes you from market to table… literally! We’ll kick off your delicious Mexican food experience by taking you to the oldest local market, always filled with locals – tourists hardly ever set foot here, giving you an authentic local experience right from the get-go. Your local guide will explain to you the kind of fruits and vegetables only produced in this region, such as achiote, pepita de calabaza, and chile habanero. You will enjoy a real market experience as we shop for the meal we’re going to prepare, at the stands of very friendly local vendors who will allow us to try some habanero sauces, Yucatan spices, and local spirits. Watch how the locals around you buy food for their own cooking, and learn all about Mexican market customs and culture.
Yucatan cuisine is one of the most varied in Mexico, and the next part of your Merida food tour will give you the chance to cook it and eat it in the best way: as a family! While we prepare our food, your host and guide will explain some of the traditions of the locals, the influence of other cultures on the food of the Yucatan, and the differences between the Yucatecos and people from other parts of Mexico. Learn some Spanish and Mayan words while the food is being prepared and while you taste the delicious plates of yumminess as they are served. We’ll try dishes like salbutes, panuchos, lima soup, gorditas de chaya, and sip on horchata or hibiscus flower tea. With a belly full of delicious, authentic food and drink, we'll say goodbye to new friends and end this mouth-watering Merida experience.
Duration: 6 hours
Included
- English Speaking local guide
- Ingredients for all dishes
- Cooking session at local family home
- Digital recipe book
- Transport by public transit to market and to the local home
- Snacks in the market
- Entry/Admission - Merida Tourism Office
Not included
- Gratuities
- Transport from cooking lesson location to Merida (approx USD $4 taxi ride)
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Latin Americans can be very conscious of appearance so try to be casual but conservative in your dress. Outside of beach areas halter tops and very short shorts should not be worn. When visiting churches or religious sites shoulders and knees should be covered.
- Maximum group size is 12.
- Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour at the rate listed above. Please select ‘child’ above when booking.
- Children below the age of 6 are not permitted on this tour.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
Features
Tourism
95%
Food
85%
Cultural
70%
Original
25%
Reviews
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I enjoyed this tour so much. You will learn about Yucatán history, and have great conversation with your guide. Going to the market and buying all of the ingredients for the meal was great; it was so nice being in the hustle and bustle of Merida. The local host was so so sweet and I was able to be very hands on with the preparation of the food. We had so much food to eat and had such good conversation the whole day. You will cook authentic local food and you will love every minute of this class.
We were looking to continue our tradition of doing a cooking class together on vacation, and this was a great one! Cooking enables us to engage our teens ages 12, 14 and 15 in a different way, and bring back some skills and ideas for new meals at home. The food we prepared was delicious: panuchos, salbutes, sopa de lima, yucatecan chicken and papadzules. We all had fun preparing the dishes, talking with others on the tour and sampling the foods along the way. Our guide, Nelson, was charming and informative and we received good guidance from him and Gustavo. Traveling to and working in the home of Doña Rosaria was also interesting. She was a welcoming host. The market is bustling and very fun to visit in the morning. Going in the heat of the day with this tour, however, was tougher. Our group was big, the market was very crowded and very hot about 100 degrees, with little breeze. Next time I'd ask to cut that part shorter and gone on to the food preparation sooner. Would do it again, for sure! Lastly- our tour began at 1pm. Make sure you eat before you go, as dinner wasn't until 6:00pm.
still waiting on the recipes..all in all a good class!
Alejo was a great tour leader, full of information about the history of Medira, Yucatan, the neighborhoods we passed through, and of course the food we prepared. We could never have negotiated the market and known of the different foods - vegetables and fruits we'd never seen. We got to sample many of these over the course of the night. Berta's house was warm and welcoming, and she was very helpful. Perhaps His best skill was managing the six of us, keeping US busy with the many steps in putting together the many course meal. Overall, we were all pleased with this fun and informative tour.
We would highly recommend this activity! Gustavo was a fabulous guide, extremely knowledgeable about the market and Yucatan history and culture. He was a joy to have as a guide, very upbeat and positive. The bustling market was amazing - a not to miss experience. There were 4 of us on the tour which seemed just right. We were most appreciative and impressed with the family environment of the actual cooking class. The family of Gustavo Grandmother and Aunt were so warm and inviting. The actual cooking class was excellent. Gustavo made sure everyone had a chance to participate in the meal preparation and the meal itself was impressive and delicious! This was a very special experience. Many thanks to Gustavo and his family for making us all feel so welcome.
So glad my wife and I booked this class. Alejo, the tour guide, chef and teacher made our day and evening very enjoyable. Spent a couple of hours shopping in the market in Merida with Alejo telling us the stories behind the spices and the history of many of the fruits and vegetables purchased. Then traveled to the in home cooking class where 10 people, if I recall correctly, spent the next 3-4 hours drinking beer, cooking and enjoying each others company. Alejo was very patient and dedicated to his craft. Made a five course meal, got fat, and enjoyed every minute of it. I highly recommend this adventure! Would definitely do it again.