Flavors of Oaxaca: Cooking Class with No Set Menu and Local Market Tour

Fun but not an in depth cooking class. More of a fun lunch.

Market walk was nice, it was not what I was expecting for a cooking class. Felt rushed as lots of stuff was prepared by staff and cooked by staff. Maybe 45% of the cooking was done by us. The table we ate at was beautiful but I was hoping to really go from 0-100 cooking the authentic meal. In hindsight I would go for a more expensive, longer class for a more full experience. Oscar is very nice and the staff were friendly. Just not what I was hoping.

Fantastic experience all round

Amazing morning spent with Oscar walking around the local food market learning about the ingredients followed by collective cooking of the most amazing 4 course meal and accompanying drinks. 5 stars all round.

Loved it!

I attended this cooking class with a friend and 16 other participants, and we absolutely loved it! The group was diverse, with people from all over the world, and the experience was incredibly hands-on. We got to vote on the dishes, then headed to the market to pick out fresh ingredients. Together, we made salsa, tortillas, soup, stuffed peppers, mole, and ice cream—and everything was absolutely delicious! I take a cooking class in every country I visit, and this one was definitely a favorite. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a fun, immersive experience!

Best foodie experience in Oaxaca

The experience was really complete and very interesting. Oscar was a great guide and host. For foodie or people interested in the local culture, this a must-do experience! We started with a tour at the local market where Oscar introduced us to the local greens, fruits and other flavours. Once we head back to the Restourant we cooked about 5 different dishes from starters to dessert. Eventually the group was a bit too big for having a completely understanding, but overall it worth it!

Great class - would recommend

We really enjoyed this cooking class, it was great to see the market and learn things such as the sellers outside the market sell from their own organic farms and not resale of wholesale items. The cooking was fun and Oscar made sure to get everyone involved. Especially enjoyed the frozen margaritas!!

Experience Oaxaca: food, culture, history and more!

The perfect first introduction to Oaxacan food, drink, history and culture. Oscar is a very gracious and experienced chef/instructor/guide. My young adult daughter and I appreciated his instructions in English. We really enjoyed a 5 course that we selected, including drinks. The menu was delicious and it was catered to the food restrictions we have (no dairy or gluten). Great experience! Good value!

Oscar Time!

It was amazing. The walk to the mercado is pleasant, the mercado itself great because there aren't (or at leat weren't) other tourists there, prepping and making the food is a blast and, mostly importantly, the finished products are absolutely delicious.

Highly recommend!

Oscar was great - very friendly and clear. The food we cooked was absolutely excellent and the market tour was an added bonus. Oscar sent us the recipes for our menu as soon as we’d finished so we can (try to!) replicate at home. His prices were also very reasonable compared to other classes we looked at. Highly recommend!

Delicious daytime activity

We had a great few hours! Our course leader Oscar was very nice and competent and his English was very good. The visit to the market and the subsequent cooking in the group were fun. However, it would have been nice if we had been offered something to drink while we were cooking. However, we got something when we asked. When we were eating together as a group, it would have been nice if Oscar had sat down with us, eaten with us and explained in more detail how things were eaten. After cooking, he left very quickly and then went to another group.

Great way to spend a day in Oaxaca!

This was so much fun! And everything we made was delicious. Our chef/instructor shared so much about the preparation of each recipe (and some ingredients!). Given the chance, I think everyone in our group of 4 would do it again. A bonus was sharing our meal with people from other parts of the world and other US states.

A great class featuring traditional Oaxaca. Food.

We all enjoyed the market tour and hands on class. Oscar was a wonderful guide and teacher and the meal we created was terrific.

Good learning experience

Trip to the market was very informative. We liked that we could actively patriciate in the cooking. Instructions were very detailed and we learned a lot. Atmosphere was friendly and encouraging. Highly recommended.

Awesome cooking class!

What a great class! Our trip to the market was very special. We got to taste all kinds of cheeses and learn about the different chilies. The class was super fun, friendly and casual and we made an awesome meal. We would highly recommend!

Must do in Oaxaca 😊

Amazing day! We had a great group, the chef was fantastic & the food we cooked was delicious. We also bought Oaxacan chocolate from upstairs.

Great time!

This class was so much fun! I went with my adult daughter that lives in the eastern part of th US. Very involving and clear. Everyone was so attentive and sweet and our enjoyment was number 1.

A worthwhile experience

Very fun few hours! There were 6 of us in the class. Oscar was a good teacher but very no nonsense and not too approachable. I was a bit disappointed that considering how much food we made, we were only served tiny portions and I left still hungry. Worth doing though!

Fun afternoon but did not receive the recipes!

If you are hoping to actually cook, this may not be the class for you. Due to the volume of people taking the class (12 on this occasion) and the multiple dishes involved, you are there to help prep, rather than cook a dish from scratch yourself. While Oscar is very knowledgeable, he did appear to be ‘going through the motions’ & even left while we were eating (he also had a member of the class buy him a drink while we were at the market! I hope my classmate got his money back 🤣) The class also only took 3.5 hours (including eating the meal) rather than the 4.5 advertised. We were also told we would receive the recipes via email but have not received anything (3 days later…) We did, however, have an enjoyable few hours & the food was tasty. I would recommend Flavours of Oaxaca.

Wonderful experience.

The market trip was very cool and informative and the flavours of the food were incredible. Great experience with a great group. Oscar was fantastic.

Informative and enjoyable cooking class

I enjoyed the class very much. I found the trip to the Mercado enlightening and enjoyable. Chef Oscar went out of his way to accommodate my food allergies as well as others. The food was very good and the green salsa outstanding.

A fun experience!

The class was great fun! We were a group of 14 from all over the world and voted to make several dishes from the selection offered — guacamole, stuffed peppers, salsas, taco Al pastor, mole and corn ice cream. Oscar, the chef, took us to a market close by to buy the ingredients — that itself was fascinating— and then we got to cooking! At the end of the class we sat down at a beautifully set table for lunch and ate what we had cooked. We also got the recipes emailed to us. It was a fun experience and Oscar is a gracious teacher. All of us got to do a few things (fry the chiles, blend the ingredients, etc.), but this is not an intensive class where you will make the entire dish by yourself. I would highly recommend this class if you know cooking already and are looking for tips to try new dishes.

Great Experience and People but Basic Food.

The people and experience were lovely but the food was kind of basic so I did not give a 5 star review. The tortilla making was the highlight and the visit to the local mercado was very nice too (we went there twice after the class). I liked how we got to decide what to make. It was good hands on training but we didn’t have to do all the work. I really liked it but didn’t love it, namely because I thought the food was only good and not great

Flavorful Class

Oscar was our tour guide/chef, he was amazing! Oscar took us on a tour through the market and talked about all the different seasonings, spices, plants, vegetables that make up the great cuisine of Oaxaca. Would definitely recommend the class with Casa Crespo.

Fantastic cooking class & market tour!

We loved the entire experience! Beautiful market tour, then we prepared & enjoyed a delicious meal! Chef Oscar was very knowledgeable and helpful and made sure we all were able to participate.

A trip highlight!

This tour was a clear highlight on our four day trip to Oaxaca. The guide was kind and had a very accommodating and experienced team. You could tell they are a well-oiled machine. Atmosphere was friendly and the food was delicious! We loved sitting down to dine with the other guests. Perfect for any type of travellers other than young kids who may find it long. Cannot recommend this enough.

Visiting Oaxaca through its food.

I came to the cooking class alone and met up with 6 other people. A family of four from Copenhagen and a couple from Annapolis, USA. We all got along fabulously and chose our menu easily without any dispute. Oscar, the chef took us to to the central market to buy most of the ingredients we needed for the recipes. He explained many things throughout the market. Then we headed back to the kitchen’, which was a lovely outdoor patio. Everyone, including the two girls participated in everything. The food we made was delicious and the cooking assistants were great. Our only disappointment was that Oscar the Chef never sat with us while we were eating. We never benefited from his expertise and stories of Oaxacan cuisine and other questions we had. (he was doing something in the back?) Nonetheless it was a delicious and filling five course meal.

Highlight of our trip to Mexico

The highlight of our trip to Mexico! We can highly recommend this cooking class. Oscar is a great chef and very friendly. He speaks fluently English and knows a lot. We started with collectively choosing a menu, we went to the market, started cooking, and had a lovely dinner afterwards. So delicious. We even got mezcal to go with the food. We made two types of mole, avocado soup, tamales, a drink, tacos, stuffed peppers, and spicy ice cream. And as a bonus, we met a lot of nice people in the class.

Be careful if you book this tour. No refunds, book a tour that does, there are lots of options.

Broke my foot and had to cancel my trip to Oaxaca. Very disappointed that I didn’t get my money back. Had plenty of time to fill my space. Have some compassion for God’s sake. Be very careful before you book this tour, there are others that will provide a refund for the same type of event.

Great 1/2 day activity in Oaxaca

A very enjoyable morning and lunch. Oscar is a great host and chef, and very willing to share his knowledge of Mexican cuisine and culture. Small group size (we had 8), good value, and of course a delicious lunch.

Great

Very fun and informative. Loved the market visit. Would recommend it to all. They had each person do small task to do. Fun group experience.

wow! pretty great tbh!

what an incredible experience! we made way more than mole (tamales, al pastor tacos, shrimp soup, & corn ice cream). oscar was pretty chill and explained things well! this surprisingly far exceeded out expectations!

A most informative and enjoyable tour

This was a fabulous tour. Thank you Oscar! Such an informative guide in the market, explaining so much about all the various ingredients that are integral to Mexican cuisine and then patiently showing us how to make complex dishes. We enjoyed every aspect of the tour but of course the best bit was eating the fruits of our labour - all absolutely delicious!

Complete Oaxacan Meal!

The prepping of all the ingredients involved in a complete Oaxacan meal was fun and educational. Emily kept things moving well even with a group of 17. I would recommend offering water before and after the walk to the market. The heat took a toll on some in the group.

A lackluster experience for those looking for an intentional cooking class

Despite our initial high expectations based on other reviews, this cooking class left us disappointed. As avid home cooks hoping to gain a deeper understanding of Oaxacan cooking techniques, we found the experience lacking. First, the class size was excessively large, with 16 participants crowded around one stove on the premises and clogging up the aisles at the market. This made it challenging to hear instructions from Oscar, and each participant had limited hands-on cooking opportunities. While we appreciated Oscar's effort to involve us, it felt ridiculous to be called out to drop two cloves into the pod. Perhaps a more effective approach would have been for Oscar to provide thorough explanations and demonstrate the techniques himself. Second, the overall pace of the cooking class felt rushed. Delegated tasks sometimes resulted in missing important steps for another dish, and the atmosphere created did not encourage asking questions. There were some positive aspects: the final dishes were pretty good from the extensive menu with recipes that Oscar shared. However, for those seeking a slower-paced and more intentional cooking class, this may not be the ideal choice. If your goal is to be part of cooking an Oaxacan meal that you get to eat at the end, this class might cut it for you.

I'm still full!

So much food! Very accommodating for vegetarians and pescatarians. Lovely setting and going to the market was so fun!

Cooking in Oaxaca

Myself and 2 teenage girls took this class on our first day in Oaxaca. Oscar was an excellent host and teacher. We loved the market tour, cooking instruction and being able to enjoy the meal afterwards. I highly recommend this class.

I recommend the experience

We got to choose our menu and the instructor and his assistant were very efficient in delivering the demonstration while involving the participants. I definitely recommend the experience.

FOUR AND HALF MAGICAL HOURS IN OAXACA

What a remarkable opportunity to learn from a very inspired and knowledgeable instructor, Oscar. The class was a very busy four and a half hours long. We first selected a menu, then headed out to the market, shopped, learning a great deal about the various ingredients, and headed back. Then, the magic began. Oscar coached us on all the different meal preparation processes. It was a little overwhelming to keep track of what was happening, but it was so worth it once we got the swing of how much fun it was to prepare this food. Then we sat down to eat. The group connected, and we had informative conversations. The class was one of the highlights of my trip to Oaxaca. I have already recommended it to everyone headed to the magical city. Thank you, Oscar. Keep up your brilliant work! ALSO: I love the line drawings on the walls and the art in the kitchen. Inspired!

Our meal tasted as good as it looked!!!

The cooking class that we took with Oscar with so enjoyable and informative. He's a wonderful chef and encouraging teacher. We were able to select our menu as a group and then specifically shop for the needed items in the local outdoor market. Oscar was able to tell us about the useage for all of the fruits and vegetables in the market as well as their preparation. I have taken many cooking classes in the past and this one is up there among my favorites. I would highly recommend Flavors of Oaxaca.

Learning basic elements of Mexican cooking

It wash pleasant day. We all introduced ourselves and chatted about what to make. The class ranged from novice cooks to others that were more adept in the kitchen. I was a little disappointed at the elementary aspects of the class. I would not suggest this class for anyone who already has a basic knowledge of Mexican cooking

Flavors of Oaxaca

Fabulous! Delicious! Unique Oaxaca food! Beautiful market tour! Very organized. Easily accommodated vegetarians and gluten free people. Really enjoyed it. A fabulous cultural experience!

Great host, excellent day!

A wonderful cooking experience with our lovely host Oscar. We visited local markets prior to cooking, Oscar is very knowledgeable about all the ingredients and of Oaxaca, so you will learn a lot!. The food we prepared was excellent!

Fantastic cooking class at Casa Crespo!

One of the best cooking classes I’ve had! Our lovely teacher and chef Oscar is very knowledgeable with all local foods, products, plants… and he explained everything so well. He took us on a tour of his local market so we could learn about a lot of the ingredients we were about to use. His cooking school is in a beautiful, open and modern setting. He offers many delicious options of dishes to prepare, and makes it so much fun by getting us all to do various tasks so we can learn how to prep and cook everything properly. His wonderful staff set a beautiful table for us to enjoy all the delicious bounty we’d cooked with him. I so thoroughly enjoyed my time there and highly. recommend Oscar and his cooking school.

Fantastic

I had an absolutely fantastic morning. Oscar was a great instructor and I learned so much. We were given a choice of many different options to cook so we made our menu personable for our group. I felt lucky that our group was only 5 people so it felt really personable. He said groups reach up to 15 people and I feel it wouldn’t be as fun with that large a group.

Super fun and worth it!

We loved the whole experience on this tour. The walk to and through the market was very informative, and the cooking class was exceedingly well organized and fun. The setting itself, outside under shade cover, was lovely. We all participated in the extensive food prep and then got to sit down together and enjoy the many courses we’d prepared. The mole was the best I’ve ever had. Super fun experience all around.

Educational market visit,...

Educational market visit, hands on class which in the end produced a wonderful lunch and lively conversation. Can’t wait to try Oscar’s dishes at home.

Fantastic experience

We took this class as a couple and really enjoyed ourselves. We are future restaurant owners who are passionate of traditional authentic Mexican cuisine. The class was fairly large, 17 total. There was plenty of room and everything was very well organized. Chef was very friendly and gave great instructions and explanations. I don’t have one negative thing to say about our experience. We took this class to learn techniques you can’t get from a book or a website and it definitely delivered that. We will be using our recipes for the rest of our lives and that’s a gift that is priceless. When we come back to Oaxaca we will take more classes. Thank you to Casa Crespo for an amazing experience and delicious food and recipes!!

Recommended Experience

Very friendly and knowledgeable instructor. Food we made was delicious. Able to accommodate food restrictions and preferences. Showed us around the market, which was helpful for when we went back to shop later.

Would Do This Again

Fantastic time with the master chef, Oscar. We visited a nearby market and then returned to Casa Crespo to make our 5-course meal. We made everything from scratch. Total time was just over 4 hours.

Really fun class

We really enjoyed this cooking class. First the group made a decision on what we were going to cook with lots of choices. Chef Oscar then took us to the market and showed us all the different ingredients and explain how they were used. The class was so well organized, everyone had a chance to chop and add ingredients. The outcome was delicious. We made cerviche, shrimp soup, tamales, mole and chili ice cream! I am now cured of my fear of cooking with chilis!

Must do!

This was such a wonderful experience. So happy my friend and I booked it. So great to walk around the market and learn about the different vegetation and local foods while also having the opportunity to learn how to make different dishes. The host was helpful and explained everything as he went. The food turned out delicious and you end the day by enjoying the meal with a group of strangers, it was a good experience. Definitely do it.