Mexico
The Flavors of Mexico: A Culinary Adventure in Oaxaca & Puebla
Program No. 23977RJ
If you love Mexican cuisine, join us for a delicious learning adventure in the heart of Oaxaca and Puebla! Enjoy hands-on cooking classes, market visits and much more.
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Protecting the Environment
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9 days
8 nights
20 meals
8B 6L 6D
1
Arrive Oaxaca, Check-in, Welcome Dinner
Oaxaca City, Oaxaca
2
Orientation, Market System, Benito Juárez Market
Oaxaca City, Oaxaca
3
Hands-on Cooking Class, Pre-Hispanic Food Lecture, Free Time
Oaxaca City, Oaxaca
4
Mitla, Santa Maria del Tule, Teotitlán del Valle
Oaxaca City, Oaxaca
5
Monte Albán Archaeological Site & Museum, Free Time
Oaxaca City, Oaxaca
6
Transfer to Puebla, Check-in, Historic Center of Puebla
Puebla City, Puebla
7
Cooking Class, Free Time
Puebla City, Puebla
9
Program Concludes, Depart from Program
Mexico City
At a Glance
Taste, sample and savor the many flavors of central Mexico during this culinary adventure in Oaxaca and Puebla! Traditional Mexican cuisine was one of the first food traditions or cultures to be recognized by UNESCO on their list of the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.” With experts from the Seasons of My Heart Cooking School, get hands-on instruction into creating and enjoying the cuisine that the region’s Spanish and indigenous cultures have influenced. Learn cooking secrets from local chefs, get instruction for making world-famous Mole Poblana and visit bustling marketplaces where the freshest ingredients are found. Throughout your learning adventure, you’ll also enjoy opportunities to immerse yourself in history during field trips to the archaeological site of the city of Mitla, the 2,000 year-old cypress tree El Arbol del Tule as well as the village of Teotitlan del Valle, known for its ancient textile traditions.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking 1-2 miles daily over varied terrain.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Create your own culinary masterpieces during hands-on classes at a prestigious cooking school.
- Learn how chocolate is made during a field trip to the Mayordomo Chocolate Factory and delight in an opportunity to explore the local mercado, which sells rich fruits, vegetables and herbs.
- See how a local chef makes mole poblano.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
María Teresa Peniche
Maria Teresa Peniche, who prefers to be known simply as “Teri,” is a highly regarded addition to Geronimo’s Road Scholar staff. Teri pursued a career in higher education, preparing school curriculums designed as well as teaching English in secondary education. After retiring, Teri’s vast knowledge of Mexico’s history and culture paved the way towards her becoming a Group Leader. Blessed with a caring disposition and a great desire to share her love of her country, Teri’s capacity for sharing her considerable knowledge is unrivaled.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
María Teresa Peniche
View biography
Maria Teresa Peniche, who prefers to be known simply as “Teri,” is a highly regarded addition to Geronimo’s Road Scholar staff. Teri pursued a career in higher education, preparing school curriculums designed as well as teaching English in secondary education. After retiring, Teri’s vast knowledge of Mexico’s history and culture paved the way towards her becoming a Group Leader. Blessed with a caring disposition and a great desire to share her love of her country, Teri’s capacity for sharing her considerable knowledge is unrivaled.
Haydee de Hoyos
View biography
Originally from the northern state of Sonora, Haydee de Hoyos learned English through her interest in American television, especially “Sesame Street.” Her affinity for American culture led her to pursue a career in the travel industry with a degree in tourism and business form the University of Guadalajara. Haydee has worked for Geronimo for more than 20 years and served as a Group Leader on programs focusing on art, culture, history, the environment and Mexican cuisine, developing an encyclopedia of knowledge of all things Mexico.
Suzanne Barbezat
View biography
Suzanne Barbezat grew up in Montréal, Canada, but holds a deep love and appreciation for Oaxaca. After graduating with a degree in anthropology, she lost her heart to Oaxaca on a solo trip through Latin America. Moving to Mexico in 1998, she has worked as a teacher, group leader and writer Suzanne spends her free time discovering off-the-beaten-path locales around Oaxaca with her Mexican husband and children. There's nothing she enjoys more than getting to know Oaxaca better and sharing her love for it.
Suggested Reading List
(19 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The Flavors of Mexico: A Culinary Adventure in Oaxaca & Puebla
Program Number: 23977
Discovery and Conquest of Mexico
A vivid eyewitness account from a soldier's perspective. Diaz attempts to set the story straight and his classic first-person account is a richly detailed, well-written and essential narrative of the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
Under the Volcano
The former British consul drinks away the haunting troubles of his past on the Mexico's Day of the Dead in Lowry's celebrated novel.
Ancient Oaxaca, The Monte Alban State
A scholarly account of the archaeology of the Valley of Oaxaca from 500 B.C. The four contributors cover the physical and social setting and origins of the civilization of Monte Alban.
Oaxaca Journal
Talented essayist and neurologist Oliver Sacks shows his wide-ranging intellectual curiosity in this transporting tale, interweaving observations, and travels with the history, nature, and culture of Oaxaca.
Moon Mexico City
A compact, comprehensive full-color travel guide with an excellent overview of history and culture.
Fiesta, Days of the Dead & Other Mexican Festivals
Drawing on her travels all over Mexico, Chloe Sayer (The Skeleton at the Feast) mixes religious tradition, popular culture and folk art in this colorfully illustrated survey of Mexican celebrations.
Skull Duggery
This 16th book in Aaron Elkin's Gideon Oliver series finds the skeleton detective vacationing in charming Teotitlan del Valle in Oaxaca, where wife Julie's expatriate relatives, the Gallaghers, operate a dude ranch resort. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty!
The Labyrinth of Solitude
These essays by the Nobel Prize-winning poet address Mexican culture and character. The chapters on the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead and the conquest are especially memorable.
Culture Smart! Mexico
A concise, no-nonsense guide to local customs, etiquette and culture with a short overview of the land and people along with practical travel advice.
Conquest: Montezuma, Cortéz and the Fall of Old Mexico
Many Mexicos
This widely-known popular history of Mexico, first published in 1941, stands as an enjoyable, well-written introduction to the country and its history.
Oaxaca Map
Published in Mexico, this full-color plan includes a regional map (1:650,000), Oaxaca (1:22,600), Santo Domingo Tehuantepec (1:22,000) and Puerto Escondido (1:27,400). With some legends and a brief history. Dual Spanish/English language.
The Essential Cuisines of Mexico,
The thoroughly revised edition of Kennedy's influential and savory survey of the authentic food of Mexico, with 30 new recipes.
Oaxaca al Gusto
Diana Kennedy celebrates the diversity of the food, life, and culture of Oaxaca in 300 exhaustively researched, authentic recipes.
Lonely Planet Mexican Spanish Phrasebook
This handy take-along phrasebook with essential vocabulary for travelers.
Oaxaca Celebration, Family, Food and Fiestas in Teotitlan
Gagnier Mendoza captures the rituals and celebrations of Day of the Dead, Fiesta of the Black Christ of Esquipalasm, Easter and wedding ceremonies in this overview featuring 100 color photographs.
Moon Handbook Oaxaca
An invaluable travel guide featuring a good overview of the culture and history of the region, along with coverage of local events, recommendations on accommodations and dining. With photos, illustrations, and dozens of local and city maps.
Mexico, A Culinary Quest
Distilling a personal, culinary journey into 100 profiles, this well-produced tribute to Mexican food looks at the country's original personalities and their tables, menus, local specialties, and more with 1,000 commissioned photographs.
The Cities of Ancient Mexico
With 152 black-and-white photographs, illustrations, and site diagrams, this portrait of ancient civilizations in Mexico features chapters on the Oaxaca Valley, Teotihuacan, and Palenque. Written by a renowned Mayanist, it also includes insightful chapters on how archaeologists have reconstructed the past in Mexico.