Small Group Market Tour and Yucatecan Cooking Class in Merida

Meet Leo

Leo is very passionate about cooking, baking and traveling around the country. She is a homemaker and has always cooked for her family, it is something she really enjoys. Leo is now excited to share her skills and passion with travelers visiting Merida. She is also a micro entrepreneur; who bakes desserts and sells it at the market. Leo learned to cook from her mother and her grandmother, and inherited the family recipes from them. This Merida cooking experience is ideal for anyone looking to learn more about Mexican history and culture through food. <br><br>Your Merida cooking class is co-hosted by Leo, our culinary expert, alongside an English-speaking guide to ensure smooth communication. Leo shares her deep knowledge of traditional cooking while our guides offer insights into the history and cultural influences shaping each dish. Together, they craft an engaging and informative culinary journey. Our diverse guide team, may include professionals who graduated in tourism, a travel consultant, a chef, all of whom love to meet new people. You can expect a deep cultural immersion, while experiencing the diverse flavors of Mexican cuisine!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

Market visit (2 - 5 guests) Meet your friendly, English-speaking guide in downtown Merida and walk together for 10 minutes to Mercado Lucas de Galvez. The iconic Mercado Lucas de Gálvez is one of the main markets in Merida. Almost everything you can think of is on offer – fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, condiments, clothes, local handicrafts etc. Walk around the market with your guide and be introduced to local, seasonal produce while you interact with the vendors and learn about the gastronomy of the region. Taste a few local fruits and buy a few ingredients from the market, before you catch the local bus (public transportation) to Leo’s modest home, for your Merida cooking class. Leo’s home is 25 minutes from the market in a small village. Upon arrival she will welcome you to her home kitchen, where you will cook a traditional Yucatecan meal together.

In you 2-hour Yucatecan cooking class in Merida, learn to make three dishes from scratch. This is a hands-on cooking class where you will master traditional cooking techniques and transform fresh ingredients into delightful preparations. Leo will guide you every step of the way, while the guide shares stories and cultural insights that bring the history behind each dish to life. The three dishes that you will learn to cook in your Merida cooking class are an appetizer, empanadas or guacamole or sikil pak (roasted tomato and pumpkin seed dip); a main dish, pollo pibil (pibil style chicken) or papadzules (similar to enchiladas) or calabaza frita (fried pumpkin) and dessert, coconut cream. After cooking, sit down at the dining table to share the meal you helped prepare, which will be served with water, lemonade or horchata (refreshing Mexican drink made with ground rice, milk and cinnamon) or pineapple juice or beer.

Please note the menu may change, it is seasonal and depends on the availability of ingredients at the market, it is also pre-selected by Leo based on your dietary restrictions. At the end of the experience, your guide will accompany you by taxi or local bus back to the meeting location (Hotel Caribe), a 20 minute journey.