Mexico Cooking School Vacations: Cook in the Yucatan

A Mexican Expedition in the Yucatan
Mérida, Yucatán

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About the location: There is Mexico… and then there is Yucatán. The region and the country share much, yet their histories diverge at many points. Yucatán is the land of the Maya, one of the world’s largest intact indigenous groups. The food is also different, characterized by the infamous habanero, the world’s hottest chile, and has much in common with Caribbean and European cuisine, making it an ideal spot for a unique culinary vacation in Mexico. Pit-smoked meats, plantains, Dutch cheeses, Portuguese sausages and Lebanese specialties are some of the typical foods of the region, a surprise to those expecting traditional Mexican! Culturally, the region has its own music, dance and literature, and of course, the Mayan archaeological sites known throughout the world.

The capital city Mérida was once home to the world’s largest per capita population of millionaires. It is now experiencing a resurgence, attracting travelers from all over the globe who are discovering its many charms. Your home for your week-long Mexican culinary tour is the charming Hotel Hacienda Mérida located in the heart of the historic district. Privately owned and operated, the property was recently transformed into an exclusive boutique hotel of eight suites, a mix of historical, traditional and contemporary elements, with the comfort of the guests foremost. Hotel Hacienda Mérida was named one of the “Best New Hotels in the World” in the Condé Nast Traveler Hot List 2008.

About the lessons: In such a setting is a cooking school devoted to 100% “comida yucateca.” Chef David, a New York transplant and now a long time resident of Mexico, will be your chef and guide during your stay. He and his school have been featured in numerous publications such as Travel and Leisure, The New York Times, Elle Mexico, and has been included in Rick Bayless’s television program, “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.”

A Mexican Expedition in the Yucatan Itinerary

Day 1

  • Arrival at Mérida International Airport.
  • Transfer to your accommodations at Hotel Hacienda Mérida.
  • Time to relax, with dinner on your own.
  • Overnight.

Day 2

  • Breakfast.
  • At 9:00 a.m. Chef David will greet you at the cooking school and invite you into his kitchen, where he will present an overview of Yucatán’s unique ingredients and culinary heritage.
  • Stroll with him to the dazzling new Museo de la Ciudad de Mérida (city museum), located in a restored turn-of-the-century post office.
  • After the museum, tour the sprawling and colorful central market where you will see piles of recados, the seasoning pastes unique to Yucatán cuisine.
  • Ride to Hacienda Teya — a restored 16th century hacienda that now serves the finest regional cuisine. Chef David will help you navigate the menu as you sample several Yucatecan specialties.
  • Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.
  • The evening at leisure and overnight.

Day 3

  • Breakfast.
  • To help you get your bearings, at 9:00 a.m. take a tour of this magnificent colonial city. A drive up Avenida Paseo de Montejo will reveal many of the old hennequén mansions where once lived the city’s wealthiest inhabitants.
  • This afternoon, stroll around Plaza Principal; tour the Cathedral — the hemisphere’s oldest — and view the impressive murals in the Palacio del Gobierno.
  • Arrive at the cooking school, where you will meet local Mayan women who will instruct you in the fine art of shaping tortillas; take turns making regional tacos known as panuchos and salbutes, then snack on your creations.
  • Your first cooking class to follow. Possible dishes include Sopa de Lima, Pollo Asado, Sorbete de Lima and Agua Fresca de Lima.
  • Around 3:00 p.m. you will be seated for the comida fuerte (main meal of the day).
  • Return to the hotel; evening at leisure and overnight.

Day 4

  • Following breakfast, at 8:30 a.m., excursion to the charming colonial city of Izamál. Along the way, you will stop to visit the incredible Mayan cemetery at Hoctún.
  • Tour the monastery and church of Izamál, built atop the base of an ancient Mayan pyramid. Afterward you will enjoy a calesa (horse and buggy) ride through town, past the several large intact pyramids that remain of the ancient city.
  • At 1:00 p.m. visit restaurant Kinich Kak-moo. Here you will have a demonstration of traditional comida enterrada (foods cooked underground), as well as the delicious poc chuc (milanese-cut pork marinated in sour orange juice then quick-grilled over a wood fire). You will then enjoy a typical Yucatecan feast.
  • Return to the hotel with some time to relax.
  • At 7:30 p.m., depart for dinner at Trotter’s — a hip local crowd, lively ambiance and “steak, tapas, vino,” with the best wine list in Mérida.
  • Return to hotel and overnight.

Day 5

  • Breakfast.
  • Depart for an excursion to Hacienda Vista Alegre, a restored 17th-century hacienda, whose current inhabitants operate a distillery on the grounds that produces the famous Yucatecan honey/anise liqueur Xtabentun, as well as a variety of incredible rums (yes, you will taste them all after the tour)! You can also enjoy a small botanical garden and orchard where grow many typical and unusual varieties unique to Yucatán, such as zapote — the famous chewing gum tree!
  • Transfer to the school for another afternoon of cooking instruction.
  • At 4:00 p.m. return to hotel; evening free.

Day 6

  • Breakfast.
  • Today is a romantic and exotic excursion into the heart of Mayan Yucatán. First, we drive to Uxmal — considered the most beautiful of the Mayan archaeological zones and inspiration to Frank Lloyd Wright.
  • After your guided tour of Uxmal, stop at the tiny pueblo of Santa Elena, where you will visit a Mayan family living as the Maya have lived for the past century. The lady of the house will show us her kitchen, a thatched hut with a wood fire in the center, and prepare you some typical snacks.
  • Her husband will show us his solar — the garden that surrounds the house and that provides many of the family’s daily food needs, such as sour oranges, chiles, tomatoes, peanuts — even pigs and turkeys!
  • On the way back to Mérida, stop at the five-star Hacienda Temozon, one of the Luxury Collection owned by Starwood. The setting is magnificent and you will enjoy the beautiful presentation and updated classics of Yucatecan fare for lunch.
  • Transfer back to the hotel with some time to relax.
  • At 7:30 p.m., depart for your farewell dinner at restaurant Néctar — the best in regional fusion cuisine.

Day 7

  • Breakfast followed by check out.
  • Transfer to Mérida International Airport. Adios!

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