Explore a local Mérida market with Sofia and discover the fresh produce, spices, and ingredients at the heart of Yucatecan cuisine. Then return to her home for a private hands-on cooking class, where you'll transform your market finds into traditional dishes before sitting down together to enjoy your homemade meal. After convenient pick-up in Mérida, visit Chuburná Market, where locals shop for fresh produce, spices, and regional ingredients. As you browse the market together, Sofia will introduce you to ingredients unique to the Yucatán and select a few items for your cooking class. Back in Sofia’s home kitchen, learn to prepare traditional Yucatecan and Mayan dishes that reflect the region’s rich cultural heritage, shaped by Indigenous Maya, Spanish, and European influences. Your menu may include sikil pak con tostadas (a pumpkin seed dip), empanadas de chaya con queso de bola, and pollo or cochinita pibil, a classic achiote-marinated dish slow cooked in banana leaves. After cooking, sit down to enjoy the meal you helped prepare, accompanied by local beer and conversation. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and lactose-free diets can be accommodated with advance notice.