Journey Mexico Oaxaca Master Chef Trip

This is a seven night trip designed to offer the very best of traditional Oaxacan cuisine. In addition to tasting these amazing Mexican dishes, you will learn how to make many of them as well during your cooking classes with master Mexican chefs. These chefs will take you to the local markets, teach you how to shop for the best local ingredients, show you the way around a traditional Oaxacan kitchen, and share their culinary secrets and recipes with you. Although this trip revolves around Oaxacan cuisine, you will also visit some of the most beautiful and important cultural spaces of the country. You’ll see ancient tombs from before the Modern Era, the Tule Tree (one of the oldest living beings on this planet), and the beautiful hand woven rugs, textiles, and candles of Teotitlán del Valle. You are guaranteed to meet local chefs, artisans, and people who will forever leave an impression in your life.

Highlights

Several Days of Cooking Classes

Learn from local culinary masters

Mitla

Visit the tombs of the ancient kings and priests

Tule Tree

A masssive tree with the circumference of over 160 feet at its base, and between the ages of 2000 to 3000 years old

Teotitlan de Valle

This area is known for it's colorful, hand-woven rugs
Meet the experts of the fabrication- the artisans of San Bartolo Coyetepec

Monte Alban

Explore this 2500 year old city with a maze of subterranean passage ways, rooms, drainage and water storage systems

Zaachila

Visit this historic town with its own archaeological site, Cuilapan de Guerrero

Ex Convent

Home to one of the most beautiful and original buildings constructed by the Dominican friars in the XVI cent

Dates

This trip can be run year round

Price Includes

Because this itinerary will be custom tailored to your liking, please inquire for pricing.

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Itinerary

Day One

Private Transfer from Oaxaca Airport to Hotel You will be met at the airport and privately transferred to your hotel. Relax and dine tonight on your own at one of Oaxaca's fine restaurants (see restaurant suggestions).

Day Two

Today you will visit the Mitla archeological site; Tlacolula one of Mesoamerica's oldest markets, the traditional weaving town of Teotitlan de Valle, and the Tule Tree. Lunch is included. Dinner (included) will be on your own again tonight. Mitla - The Name Mitla is derived from the Nahuatl word "Mictlan", which means "Place of the Dead". In the Language of the Zapotecans, it is called "Lyobaa", which means "Burial Place". The name in the language of the original builders (The Zapotecans) is probably the most accurate when one considers the tombs of the ancient kings and priests which are actually an integral part of the structures within the city. Archaeological evidence indicates that the site was actually inhabited as early as 900 BC, but the structural remains of the city itself have dates ranging between 200 AD and 900 AD. Tule Tree - Santa Maria del Tule is a small town in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico with its famous Arbol del Tule (tree of Tule) in the churchyard. The mighty tree in Santa Maria del Tule, has a circumference of over 160 feet at its base, and is between 2000 and 3000 years old, making it one of the oldest living things on earth. Teotitlán - Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca is known particularly for it's colorful, hand-woven rugs. Teotitlán del Valle is located an easy 28 kilometers from Oaxaca City on Highway 190. The road passes through Santa María del Tule, home of the giant Tule (or Ahuehuete) tree, and continues eastward down the Tlacolula Valley through extensions of waving cornfields with the Oaxaca mountains in the distance. Teotitlan del Valle is most known for it's beautiful, woven woolen rugs and naturally-dyed textiles, as well as elaborately decorated hand-made candles made of beeswax, shiny metallic paper and paper flowers.

Day Three

Today, you will have your first cooking class. You will start by going to the market with your chef teach Pilar Cabrera from Casa de Los Sabores. You learn the secrets of the Oaxacan kitchen and how to select the best ingredients. You will then return to the school to learn how to prepare some of the wonderful dishes of Oaxaca and enjoy the fruits of your labor eating your delicacy for lunch (included)! In the afternoon, you will have a private city tour. Dinner (included) on your own tonight.

Day Four

Today, you will visit artisan workshops and homes to see first hand how the high quality crafts are made. Oaxaca has characterized for the creativity of its people since pre Columbian times. There are a series of towns with artistic tradition on the outskirts of the state capital, with each one specializing on a determined line of work. You will have a traditional lunch (included) in one of the artisans homes. You will have the rest of afternoon free to shop and dine on your own. San Bartolo Coyotepec: its artisans are experts on the fabrication of ceramics using black clay, which are cooked in subterranean furnaces. San Martin Tilcajete: artisans carve and paint in bright colors the whimsical animal shapes call alebrijes. Santo Tomas Jalieza: they make bags, rugs and belts, amongst other objects where motifs related to the local flora and fauna are predominant, using ancient waist frames. Dinner (included) on your own tonight.

Day Five

Today, we will have a group cooking class with Susan Trilling. You will be picked up and travel to the Etla market to select your ingredients. Here, you will try exotic foods and meet the charming people of the market. After a light lunch (included), you will head out to Rancho Aurora for a lecture on Oaxacan cuisine and a presentation of the day's ingredients. Then everyone grabs an apron and we create and enjoy a five-course meal. You will then be transport back to Oaxaca.

Day Six

Today, you will visit the stunning archeological site of Monte Alban. You will then continue on to visit another historic market of Zaachila and the colonial town of Cuilapan de Guerrero with lunch (included). You will then return to the hotel to relax and dine on your own in the evening at one of our suggested restaurants. Monte Alban - It is believed that Monte Alban was actually named in the 16th century after the Spanish landowner's surname "Montalvan". The previous names for the city were the Mixtec name "Sahandevul," which means "At the Foot of the Sky" and another variation, which is derived from the older Zapotecan language, "Danibaan," or Sacred Mountain." What is known about the history of the region is that 4000 years ago, a village-dwelling people of unknown origin (believed by many to have been Olmec colonies) moved into the Oaxaca valleys. Then, around 500 BC (1500 years later) a new people (the Zapotecans) moved into the region. One of these groups then began the monumental task of leveling the top of a 1,600 meter high mountain that intersects and divides three valley, and built Monte Alban with a maze of subterranean passage ways, rooms, drainage and water storage systems. Zaachila - The town is very historic and has its own archaeological site to visit as well. The Tianguis/Market takes place between the central park & church and colorful stands are set up with the most traditional good from this area of the valley such as: Pecan, Alebrijes(wood carvings), Red Pottery, Peanuts, Radishes, regional fruits. Cuilapan de Guerrero, Ex convent - This historic town was named one of Mexico's "Magic Towns" and is home to one of the most beautiful and original buildings constructed by the Dominican friars in the XVI century.

Day Seven

Today, you will have your second cooking lesson with the famed Oaxacan chef Alejandro Ruiz. Once again, the class with start at the market selecting ingredients one of the savory recipes that combine the ancient traditional with modern techniques. You will return to the kitchen where you and Alejandro will bring to fruition one of his culinary masterpieces which you will each for lunch! In the afternoon, you will visit the pottery of Atzompa and the artisan paper factory in San Agustin Etla. Dinner (included) is once again on your own.

Day Eight

Private Transfer from Hotel to Oaxaca Airport

Greetings,

I’m interested in Oaxaca Master Chef Trip. I can come either last week of February to the first week of March.

Please cna you advise on trip availability and price? Also - what is included into the trip.

Kind regards,

Inga

By Inga Frolova on 2013 01 19

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