Choosing the Right Kind of Class

There are lots of different types of cooking classes available, with varying menus, locations and levels of difficulty, so picking the right one for you is important. I am not a very experienced cook – my husband cooks for us the vast majority of the time (lucky me!). So, I wanted to find a class that beginners could enjoy, even without much experience cooking Mexican food. I also wanted to find a class that was hands-on. I didn’t want to just watch the chefs work their magic – I wanted to get my hands dirty, chopping, slicing, stirring, and tasting everything myself.

The one I found was incredibly relaxed and interactive. It took place in an airy outdoor kitchen, attached to the family home in the suburbs of Oaxaca. The quiet, peaceful environment really added to the experience. I also wanted a small group size and got very lucky as it ended up being just me and a couple who now live in London (my home city), which made the class feel cosy and personal. Our chef Su welcomed us, and within minutes we were chatting away like old friends. Su speaks English well, and her son Chema (who speaks excellent English) was there to translate the recipes step-by-step, and explain anything that needed deeper clarification.

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Hands-On Cooking: Hot Chocolate, Salsa and Tortillas

Our first task was making hot chocolate from scratch, beginning with cacao beans roasted and processed by Su and her family. We learned how the cacao is ground into a paste and whisked with hot water until it froths. It was rich and tasty – every morning should start with a mug of hot chocolate!

Next, we dove into two different salsas, each made with a different type of tomato and chilli. We ground the ingredients by hand, discovering how subtle changes in acidity or heat create totally different flavours. The tomatoes and chillis were full of flavour; we were told they were organic, sourced from the family garden or local producers.  

Then came the tortillas: we tried different kinds of dough, including colourful corn varieties, and practised shaping them using a traditional tortilla press. Once the folded tortillas hit the hot comal, the whole kitchen smelled heavenly. We ate them warm, topped with our freshly made salsas. 

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Making a Traditional Oaxacan Mole

No Oaxacan cooking class is complete without mole, the national dish of Mexico and a huge part of Oaxacan identity. Mole can act as a marinade, a sauce, or a full meal, and Oaxaca is famous for producing seven traditional varieties:

• Mole Negro – The most iconic of them all. Dark, complex, and layered with chocolate, chiles, and spices
• Mole Rojo – A vibrant red mole made with guajillo and ancho chiles
• Mole Colorado – Brick‑red and earthy, made with spices, guajillo and pasilla chiles.
• Mole Verde – Fresh and herby, with a bright green colour
• Mole Amarillo – A lighter, yellow mole thickened with masa and yellow chiles.
• Manchamantel – Bursting with fruitiness, pineapple, plantain, and apple give this mole a sweet‑savoury balance
• Chichilo – Smoky and slightly bitter, made with burnt tortillas and chilhuacle negro chile

While the most traditional moles can take hours or even days to make, we created a simplified version that still had bags of flavour. We roasted and blended tomatoes, chillis, onions, spices, nuts, and seeds – turning them into a deep, rich sauce. Su and her team cooked chicken and rice while we focused on the sauce, bringing everything together for a delicious main course. 

While we ate, we chatted about our travels through Mexico and how different life was in Oaxaca compared to our home countries. We also had plenty of questions about Oaxacan food and Su and Chema were happy to share tips and stories to help us understand the local cuisine better.

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Horchata Slushies and Mezcal Cocktails

Dessert was a refreshing twist: Oaxacan horchata, made from rice milk, almond, and cinnamon. We were shown how to prepare it, adding gelatin, and freezing it to turn it into a creamy, icy slushie – perfect after a warm morning working away in the kitchen!

We also roasted and shelled cacao beans and ended the day with mezcal cocktails made with tamarind and homemade sugar syrup. We got to try some mezcal from Su’s family distillery, “Mezcal de la Abuela Marcelina” — which translates as Grandma Marcelina’s Mezcal.

If you’ve never tried mezcal before, think of it as tequila’s older, bolder cousin. Mezcal originates in Oaxaca and can be made from more than 30 varieties of agave. It’s smoky, complex, and meant to be sipped and savoured slowly.

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Top Cooking Classes in Oaxaca

If you’re a foodie visiting Oaxaca, a cooking class should be high on your list. It’s a chance to learn traditional techniques, create regional recipes, try ingredients that you might not be able to find back home, and gain a deeper understanding of the culture behind each dish.

Here is my cooking class with Chef Su. If this class isn’t available when you’re in Oaxaca, check out these well-rated alternatives:

• Traditional Oaxaqueña Cooking with Grandma’s Recipes – A cosy cooking class led by Chef Adhey Andrade, using family recipes passed down through generations. Get 10% off with code VIATOR2025 (must be booked and take place before 31 December 2025).
• Oaxaca Cooking Class with No Set Menu and Local Market Tour – This tour doesn’t have a fixed menu, so you and the other participants can decide what you want to make! Get 10% off with code VIATOR2025 (must be booked and take place before 31 December 2025).
• Oaxaca: Traditional Oaxacan Cooking Class with Market Visit – This tour includes a visit to a local market to pick up ingredients, which you’ll use to create traditional Oaxacan dishes.
• Traditional Oaxacan Cooking Class with a Local Chef – Cook a three-course menu with Chef Oswaldo Ramírez, who will help you understand authentic Oaxacan cuisine and flavours.
• Oaxaca: Vegetarian Cooking Class – Visit a local market, then prepare a vegetarian main course, salad, and dessert using traditional techniques and recipes.

I hope this post has painted a clear picture of what to expect from a cooking class in Oaxaca. I’ve done cooking classes in several countries and really enjoy how sociable and interactive they are – and how satisfying it is to eat the food you’ve made yourself.

For more ideas about what to do, see, and eat in Oaxaca, check out my other blog posts: 3 Days in Oaxaca, Mexico: The Perfect First-Time Itinerary and Where to Eat and Drink in Oaxaca City, Mexico.

Ciao for now

Izzie, the Curious Sparrow