Oaxacan Vegetarian Cooking Class

This vegetarian cooking class with Chef Victor was one of the highlights of my trip to Oaxaca. Victor's knowledge of Oaxacan cuisine and indigenous Zapotec culture is exceptional, and it was a genuine pleasure to learn from him. The class started with a trip to a local market, where we sampled local products (chocolate, cheese, fruits) and heard about their history and production. From there, we got fully hands-on making mole, guacachile, several salsas, rice, and tortillas from scratch, with Victor explaining the story and technique behind every dish. The atmosphere was fun and relaxed (with plenty of mezcal along the way!). There were only three of us in the session, which made it feel personal. Victor even taught us a few words in Zapotec, which was a lovely touch. By the end, we had an enormous spread of food in front of us, and every single dish was delicious. All the staff at Etnofoods were fantastic, and the whole experience felt like exceptional value for money. One thing worth flagging: this class is rooted in indigenous Zapotec cuisine, which is naturally plant-based, so vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will get a completely authentic experience — no one is missing out here! Highly recommend, and I'd book without hesitation.

The vegetarian cooking class was a highlight of my visit to Oaxaca. Victor, the chef/instructor, explained the history of the largely plant-based cuisine of the region, and shared memories of his grandmother’s traditional cooking. Besides helping to prepare (and eat) delicious food with layers of flavors, I received an excellent lesson on Oaxacan culture. Highly recommended!

Fantastic experience! The course is suitable for cooking enthusiasts as well as for people who want to learn more about the local cuisine and culture. We had a great time and would take the course again in a heartbeat.

Such a fun and authentic cooking experience in Oaxaca! We loved learning about traditional Oaxacan ingredients and cooking techniques while making delicious vegetarian dishes. The instructor was friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable, and everything was fresh and flavorful. Absolutely a must-do in Oaxaca—highly recommend!

It was very fun. The guide was very kind and adjusted very well to our needs and the situation. Because of heavy rain we couldn't use the kitchen but they quickly moved us to another kitchen so we could continue the class without any problem.

My wife and I really enjoyed this cooking class. Quetzalli was an excellent instructor who showed us around the market and explained how to make a mole Verde, salsa, tortillas, quesadillas and more. If you are looking for a vegetarian cooking class in Oaxaca, this is a great experience.

Nice afternoon learning how to make authentic Oaxacan soup, quesadillas, and memelitas. A thoroughly enjoyable experience.

This is a very interesting afternoon of going to a real market in a non-touristy corner of Oaxaca. Quetie (sp?) shopped with us, identified unfamiliar fruits for us, and then let us back to the big kitchen where in a friendly and clear way she instructed us and how to make a wonderful vegetarian soup with corn and spinach and how to make delicious tortillas by hand and mamelas and quesadillas. Diego concocted a fantastic mango with mescal cocktail. My daughter and I loved it and have already gone shopping at our local Mexican store back in Chicago to try to re-create the menu. We appreciated these hard-working and friendly young people of Oaxaca who shared their culture and skills very generously with us. I highly recommend them.

Our teacher was super friendly and told us a lot about the ingridients!

This is a brilliant way to learn how to cook a traditional Oaxacan meal with a vegetarian twist. Victor made us feel included, and happily shared his knowledge -: from going to the local market to select ingredients, to making and eating a wonderful meal including mole, rice, guacamole, tortillas, empanadas and fruit. Drinks included traditional chocolate, mezcal and Jamaica juice. Highly recommended.