Looking for an authentic cooking class in Tulum? Traveling Spoon host Antonio invites travelers into his home to share authentic Mayan and Yucatecan dishes passed down through his family.
Antonio, born and raised in the Yucatan, came from a large Mayan family and was a self-professed “bad kid”. His father sent him to military boarding school as a child in the hopes of reforming his son. While Antonio was at boarding school, he fell in love with the kitchen, and the chef there soon realized that Antonio had a true talent and passion for food. Antonio nurtured that passion and has since opened his own catering business that employs over a dozen local staff. We met him in his recently renovated home in downtown Tulum, where he prepared the most delicious meal we ate in our week in Mexico. The highlights were two different types of fresh ceviche and a Mayan squash soup that we ate three bowls of. Antonio told us, “This is what I love. Now that I have my catering business, I don’t cook anymore – I oversee my staff. I can’t think of the last time I cooked in my kitchen. This, feeding people, is what I love.”
A Traveling Spoon experience with Antonio starts with a trip to one of Tulum’s local covered markets, where Antonio will introduce you to regional produce essential to Mayan cooking. Learn about the difference between lima and limon (hint: they are both types of limes; lemons aren’t a common citrus in the area or used in Mayan cuisine). After walking through the small market return home to Antonio’s modern home in a central residential neighborhood. There Antonio will teach you to make classic Mayan dishes like pescado tikin-xic (Mayan fish marinated in adobo de achiote and sour oranges and steamed in banana leaves), or one of several types of ceviche, a favorite in Antonio’s family.
Antonio has a true gift for feeding people and an experience with him is a gift to be remembered. Enjoy an off-the-eaten-path experience and some of the best food you will taste in Mexico with Antonio in his home.
Interested in booking this experience? Learn more about Antonio’s experience here.
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