A Journey Into the Heart & Soul of Mexican Cooking -

Day 1

Arrival & Welcome

Oaxaca is a city of history and tradition, and some of its richest legacies relate to cooking. After settling into our hotel, which is located in the walkable historic center of town, we’ll gather in its lovely courtyard and get to know each other, our trip leader and learn what the exciting days ahead hold for us. After our drinks, we’ll head out for a very special dinner at Cocina de Humo, where chef Thalia Barrios Garcia works culinary magic with fire and smoke. There, seated before the chef, we will witness indigenous culinary traditions which spring to life in her hands and at the hearth of this one-of-a-kind restaurant.

Day 2

Immersion in the Markets

We’ll start our day with an epic culinary walk that gives us a complete overview of Oaxaca’s downtown markets and neighborhoods, as well as how this city defends its native ingredients and cooking techniques. We’ll take an especially close look at the key role corn has long played in Oaxacan culinary culture, tracing its journey from stalk to table and even getting a chance to grind our own corn and turn it into the freshest tortillas imaginable.

Starting at the intimate Merced market for a classic Oaxacan breakfast, we’ll wind our way through city backstreets, stopping at several other markets along the way for superlative Oaxacan bites and finishing with lunch at a small family-run spot. In the afternoon, we’ll meet with another Oaxacan creator, this time a printmaker who will introduce us to Oaxacan visual arts and lead us in a printmaking workshop where we will create works of our own.

Day 3

Secrets of the Artisans

We begin this day with a drive to the small town of Matadamas where we will spend the morning with one of Oaxaca’s “Cocineras Tradicionales,” women cooks who are safeguarding local culinary traditions. We will prepare tamales, mole and whatever other classic dishes she has planned for the day with her in her home kitchen. She will share with us not only the secrets to tamale and mole making, but also to preparing a unique type of Oaxacan cheese. All this cooking will be followed by a sumptuous feast at her table.

On the way back to town we will be welcomed to the home/workshop of another traditional artisan, this one working with pottery. Recognized in Oaxaca as one of the great masters of her craft, the artist will demonstrate her work and also give us a taste of some of her family’s traditional recipes. After a full day, we will have this night free back in Oaxaca.

Day 4

Corn, Back to the Roots

We begin this day with an early expedition, a rewarding hike to the Mitla caves, a crucial part of the story of corn and how it became so central in Oaxacan life, as this is where the earliest archeological evidence of the domestication of maize was found. Here we will explore the caves and view some of the beautiful prehistoric paintings which have been discovered inside them, before having some treats al fresco and coming back to town for a short rest. Later on we’ll enjoy a traditional feast at Doña Flavia, a local institution famous for its Oaxacan tlayudas, thin and wood-fire tortillas covered with a myriad of toppings, including different types of cured meats and sausages. Sitting down with locals, who are especially opinionated about their favorite tlayuda spots, we’ll try a number of different topping combinations and join in the fun of this Oaxacan culinary tradition.

Day 5

Sunday in the Market

Our day will revolve around a visit to the small town of Tlacolula, just outside of Oaxaca city, which holds what might be the most spectacular and colorful weekly market in the whole region. Filled with food vendors, fruit and vegetable stalls and craftspeople selling their wares, the market is a colorful celebration of the richness of Oaxacan life. We’ll start the day as the locals do, visiting the stand of master maker of barbacoa – meat that has been slow-cooked in a pit – to get a taste of one of the finest examples of this dish to be found anywhere in Mexico.

After working our way through the market, we’ll finish up with late lunch at yet another of Oaxaca’s “Cocineras Tradicionales,” this one highlighting the cooking of the region’s central valley, which is famed for its mole and unusual use of chiles. The chef will fill the table with the seven most essential moles of Oaxaca and give us the backstory on the origin, ingredients and cultural significance of each. This will be a full table tribute to the preservation of the local Oaxacan cuisine and the people who protect these traditions. After this week, you will never look at mole the same way.

Day 6

The Mysteries of Mezcal

Today we’ll head out of town and into the countryside to learn all about the making of mezcal and the important role this agave-based spirit plays in Oaxacan culture. On the way we will stop for a classic country breakfast to fortify ourselves for the visit ahead. We’ll make our way to a palenque, an artisanal distillery, where the mezcalera will walk us through the process of making the drink: from collecting the agave to bottling the mezcal. Unlike many mezcal makers, this woman is a farmer as well, working toward sustainable solutions to keep up with the global mezcal craze. Along with a mezcal tasting, we will also have a rustic country-style lunch at the palenque, eating dishes made from items freshly collected from nearby fields and cooked over an open fire.

In the evening, back in Oaxaca City, we’ll have our farewell dinner at Zandunga, where chef and founder Aurora Toledo celebrates the pre-Hispanic cooking of her home region, Oaxaca’s Isthmus. Here the rainforest meets the Pacific Ocean, resulting in an utterly unique kind of cuisine.