Oaxacan cooking schools make full use of the region's climate, culture and ingredients.
Oaxaca, Mexico, has a rich culinary history born from its location, climate and the regional diversity of its people. Traditional Oaxacan cuisine relies exclusively on locally sourced products, including the cacao bean. The cacao bean has given Oaxaca seven unique moles specific to the region. Cooking classes in Oaxaca immerse students in Oaxacan culture and are taught in a variety of settings, including restaurants, bed-and-breakfasts and private homes.
Le Casa de los Sabores
Le Casa de los Sabores Bed and Breakfast and Cooking School sponsors private and group cooking classes rooted in traditional Oaxacan cuisine. In addition to teaching prepare a southern Mexican five-course meal, chef and owner Pilar Cabrera accompanies students to the local farmers market to acquire fresh produce and herbs for use in its preparation. The class' itinerary commonly includes three hours of hands-on food preparation followed by a meal service on the property's secluded patio consisting of what the students made. The class lasts four hours or a little longer, and costs $70 per person for groups of four to 10 people, as of February 2011. Invited guests, for the meal service only, are charged $10 per person.
Seasons of My Heart
Seasons of My Heart Cooking School offers classes, lectures and tours that focus on pre-Hispanic, Yucatecan and Oaxacan cuisine. The courses pay homage to classical and modern southern Mexican cuisine and highlight the spiritual, medicinal and culinary uses of indigenous Oaxaquena herbs and plants. The practical coursework is augmented with market tours, demonstrations and visits to local homes and boutique businesses that focuses on niches in Oaxacan cuisine. Seasons of My Heart offers half-day, full-day, long-weekend and weeklong classes. Limited to culinary professionals and seasoned cooks, the school also sponsors an advanced class taught by local chef Silvio Campo. The cost of classes ranges from $75 to $2,450 per person, as of February 2011.
Casa Crespo
Casa Crespo Restaurant sponsors on-site classes designed for novice cooks or those new to the ingredients and techniques used in Oaxacan cuisine. The classes include tours of Oaxaca's Sanchez Pascuas market, and place emphasis on locally sourced produce with special attention paid to regional chilies. The class lasts four hours and costs $65 as of February 2011. In addition to the class, the cost includes the market tour, a small breakfast, cooking ingredients and mezcal or beer.
Alma de mi Tierra
Nora Valencia, who trained by cooking in her family's La Casa de Mis Recuerdos bed-and-breakfast, teaches Alma de mi Tierra cooking classes from her Oaxacan home. Valencia introduces students to the cuisine and cooking methods indigenous to southern Mexico, while supplementing her instruction with information about the rich cultural heritage of her native Oaxaca. Students' itineraries include a trip to the local market, followed by instruction in the creation of a starter, a main course, a dessert and a classic Oaxacan fruit-flavored beverage. The class lasts five hours and 30 minutes, and costs between $70 and $85 depending on the number of people, as of February 2011.
Tags: Oaxacan cuisine, February 2011, class lasts, Seasons Heart, Alma Tierra, cacao bean, Casa Crespo