Visiting Oaxacan cooking class

About Oaxacan cooking class

Many local cooks run classes that start with a market visit to buy chiles, herbs and quesillo, followed by hands-on preparation of a mole, salsas made on a stone metate and tortillas on a clay comal. It is one of the best ways to understand the region's ingredients.

Tip: Choose a class that includes the market visit; seeing chilhuacle and pasilla chiles on sale helps you recognise moles afterwards.

Plan your visit

• Time needed: 4–6 hours.
• Cost: Expensive.
• Book ahead: Popular classes fill up around Día de Muertos and the Guelaguetza; reserve a few weeks ahead for those periods.
• Where: Centro Histórico, zócalo, cathedral and markets in the colonial grid.

Best time to visit Oaxacan cooking class

Oaxacan cooking class is indoors, which makes it a good plan for the wettest months:

• June: 29°C (84°F) highs, about 15 rainy days, quiet crowds.
• August: 28°C (82°F) highs, about 15 rainy days, quiet crowds.
• September: 27°C (81°F) highs, about 15 rainy days, quiet crowds.

When to visit Oaxaca has the full month-by-month picture.

Fit it into your trip

Our 3-day Oaxaca itinerary visits Oaxacan cooking class on day 3, together with Museo Textil de Oaxaca, Museo de Arte Prehispánico Rufino Tamayo and Mezcal tasting.

• No. 17 of the 17 sights in our Oaxaca things-to-do list.
• Day 3 of the 5-day plan.
• One of the picks in oaxaca on a rainy day.

Near Oaxacan cooking class

Also in Centro Histórico, so you can walk between them:

• Mezcal tasting — 1–2 hours, mid-priced
• Museo de Arte Prehispánico Rufino Tamayo — 1 hour, low cost
• Museo Textil de Oaxaca — 1 hour, low cost

Staying near Oaxacan cooking class

Stay in Centro Histórico ($$) to walk here: zócalo, cathedral and markets in the colonial grid. All areas to stay in Oaxaca.

Questions travellers ask