Learn to Cook Local Food at These Latin American Hotels

Tortillas are essential to Mexican and Central American cuisine, and at Casa Palopó in the Guatemalan Highlands, guests learn to make them from a pro. A native tortillera from a neighboring Mayan town leads each interactive tortilla-making lesson, griddling up corn tortillas on her own large comal. Guests can devour their stack with a spread of guacamole, queso fresco, frijoles, and more. 

A boutique resort in Argentina’s stunning wine country, Casa de Uco hosts cooking classes personalized to each guest, often with ingredients picked from the property’s own organic vegetable garden. Executive chef (and Mendoza native) Pablo Torres instructs in topics ranging from live-fire cooking, to traditional Argentine grills, to farm-to-table Argentine fare and locally-inspired cocktails.  

Peru is home to one of the world’s most complex, multifaceted cuisines, as becomes abundantly clear in a cooking class with Thais Rodriguez, executive chef of the Pirqa restaurant at JW Marriott El Convento Cusco. Beginning with a tour of vibrant local Mercado San Pedro (with plenty of ingredient sampling encouraged), Rodriguez then leads guests in preparing a five-course meal. Appetizers may include causa rellena and ceviche; main courses involve quinoa-based dishes and lomo saltado; and desserts are inspired by native fruits like chicha morada and cherimoya.

Ever wondered what goes into the elaborate Pan de Muerto, the elaborate skull-and-crossbones sweet bread eaten on the Day of the Dead? Learn to make one with the resort’s own pastry chef, who will lead guests through the baking process; the class ends in tasting the Pan de Muerto straight from the oven, with a cup of Mexican hot chocolate alongside.  

Chef Karla Enciso, owner of restaurants Manyee and Aroma Cilantro in Cancun, is behind many of the courses offered at the El Pueblito cooking school, with classes that spotlight the regional cuisines of Mexico. Themes range from Mexican street food to historical Mayan cuisine and the chiles of Mexico; courses are open to guests at any of the eco-friendly resort development’s four hotels. With separate classes for food-obsessed youngsters, children from 9-15 can learn to make tortillas, sopes, and more.  

From its perch overlooking the city of San Miguel de Allende, the Los Pirules cooking school at the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende features two outdoor kitchens, a chef’s garden, a fire pit, and much more. Classes start with a market tour and progress to creating a full meal, with dishes such as queso fundido prepared in a traditional molcajete.