Flavors Of Oaxaca: Cooking Class With No Set Menu And Local Market Tour

Really fun cooking experience. Oscar was great! He showed us around the market before going back to cook. He had funny stories and everyone participated. The recipes were really easy and all the food we prepared was amazing. Good group of people from all over the would highly recommend.

We were lucky, because we were just the two of us, so we had basically a private class :). Oscar was a really nice host, he explained everything, and even more. In the market he intruduced us to different ingredients and talk about how to use them. During the cooking part, we were part of every process, and meanwhile we were cooking the rest of the team made sure we had everything and cleaned every time it was needed. We made two appertizers, a soup, a main course and even a dessert!

Our guide and translator Emily was wonderful and the walk to market was very interesting Would highly recommend this experience

The walk to the market is a slight uphill incline. Oscar provided information about the different vegetables, plants and even flowers we passed along the walk to the market.

We had an amazing tour with Oscar and his team! This was actually my second time — I had such a great experience the first time that I came back with my family. We learned so much about Oaxaca, the cuisine, and cooking, and a big bonus was how kind and welcoming everyone was. My father is elderly and uses a wheelchair, and the team made accommodations so he could still join us at the market. It meant so much to have him be part of the experience with us.

Oscar is a fabulous teacher and host. We use these recipes every week

We had a great time cooking some incredible dishes from the region. Our guide was very knowledgeable and made the class very fun!

This was a great experience. The food was delicious and we shopped at the market and cooked and of course ate. I recommend don’t eat.much before the cooking class. We made chocolate mole - the best I have eaten and I ate many. Overall, highly recommended.

Wonderful experience! Oscar was funny, personal, and knowledgeable about everything we did. I have several food allergies and he was easily able to accommodate them . The class was very informative, everything was hands on, and the food turned out delicious! I am hoping to return to Oaxaca again one day and take more of his classes.

Oscar was amazing and super informative. You start the class by voting on the dishes you are going to cook and then walk to the local market where he informs you about all of the different ingredients that Oaxacans use. Once you get back to Casa Crespo, you get put to work! He breaks down the process for each of the dishes and you get the recipes at the end of the class! The best part: eating everything you made!

Great way to learn about the ingredients and cooking methods used in Oaxaca. The market tour was fascinating and the cooking class was very interesting. Perhaps the best part was enjoying the incredible meal at the end.

This was so much fun. There were 12 of us. After we all chose our menu, we had a walk to a local food market and Oscar explained everything we saw. Then we came back and all chipped in with mixing, chopping and stirring to make the food. Very interesting recipes and everything we made was really tasty. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes cooking.

We loved this experience! At the start we got to vote which dishes we were going to make. We chose tamales, cold avocado soup (delicious), taco al pastor and chocolate ice cream with oaxacan chocolate.

So the actual course was very good and enjoyable. But then I was asked to pay again despite having already paid Viator and it being clearly marked on my credit card account. It seems that whoever was taking the payment hadn’t checked beyond the bookings that had come through the previous day (I had paid 4 days earlier).and my inexperience of Viator meant I didn’t realise they texted vouchers and as I don’t really use text anymore I missed it. I paid again and then they must have realised I had already paid so then attempted to process a refund. I will give them the benefit of the doubt that reason I didn’t get the refund almost immediately (again banking payments are 24/7 in the UK) was down to lack of payments taking competency rather than a deliberate attempt to get more money out of me. Luckily my bank sorted it (via their live messaging app) but I had to waste another hour on top of the time spend sorting it out at the school. And I actually think the refund was going to another bank account not mine. All in all a bit of an unpleasant experience.

Oscar and his staff were wonderful. Very knowledgeable and efficient. Great menu and excellent lunch! Highly recommend!

It was a very professional workshop , informative , interactive , generous . We wished we had planned it earlier on our trip as we would have returned.

Excellent experience. Oscar has been running these classes for 20 years, so it’s really well organised and thought through. The market tour is interesting and gives you a chance to learn more about the hundreds of types of Mexican chillies for a start. The cooking allows for two starters, a soup, a main course and a dessert, and participants vote at the beginning on their preferences. It’s hands-on after that but not at all intimidating. It’s fun to chat to the other participants and then enjoy the lunch you’ve cooked together at the end, including a cocktail and a glass of mezcal.

Really well organized, lovely trip to the market and great selection of food prepared. We really enjoyed this experience and the food was delicious. Highly recommend!

Very organized experience. The class flowed well. Oscar is a good teacher, and I definitely learned some things in the market tour and during the cooking.

This was a top-quality experience and a great way to learn about Oaxacan cuisine. The inital meeting to decide on the set menu was a great way to get to know the other memebrs of our group and Oscar gave inishgtful and helpful advice. Our market trip shocased the local knowledge of our guide and when we returned to the kitchen, we were met with a very well-organised operation. Everyone was able to get involved and as a team we managed to pull together two starters, a salsa, soup, a main dish, dessert, tortillas and cocktails, with plenty of time to enjoy the spoils of our labour. We could not have done this without the incredibly kind and efficient team at Casa Crespo. The chocolate store upstairs was a great place to round off the trip!

Oscar is amazing and the food is delicious! Highly recommend this food tour! Everyone was super personable and the class is run very efficiently.

Fun and informative cooking class and tour! I highly recommend for solo travelers or for groups! At the start of the meet up, the instructor will give the group several options of dishes to cook, and you’ll be able to customize your menu for the day (including appetizers, main dishes and a dessert!. Then you’ll go to a local market where the instructor purchases ingredients for the dishes, and teaches you about local ingredients. Afterwards, you’ll return to the school where you’re guided though hands on cooking for all of the dishes. Finally you’ll enjoy a lunch with all your creations! Throughout the day there is plenty of time to socialize with the other participants and learn about the history and ingredients of each dish! I would absolutely take this class again!

Our daughter has attended this class last year and said it was a must do and we can now only agree! We have done a lot of cookery courses over the years. This was one of the most stressfree and simply fun that I can remember.Oscar is very laid back and has a dry sense of humour. It helped that the others on the course were a sociable bunch, but that that is so often the way on a cookery course. Okay, so he’s demonstrating rather than you being at a workstation but he gets you involved in all the slicing and dicing.Definitely worth doing.

Unfortunately, the experience was very disappointing due to the guide’s behavior. He came across as rude, rushed, and overly scripted, which made the experience feel forced and unnatural. When questions were asked, he either ignored them or responded with visible frustration. At times, he spoke very quickly and with a strong accent, making it hard to follow, and he seemed irritated when asked to repeat himself. There was little to no engagement, no smiles, and no sense of enthusiasm for teaching. After the cooking was finished, he disappeared and never checked in with us or asked how the food turned out. For the price paid, this felt unacceptable. The only positives were the food itself, which turned out good, and the company in our group, which saved the experience somewhat.

It was an amazing experience. Probably my favorite thing we did on the trip. The food we cooked with our instructor Oscar was absolutely delicious. I’m just waiting patiently for him to send me the recipes like he said he would.

I really was excited about this experience but the guide was condescending towards me. I tried asking questions and I made a comment and I was put down. I felt uncomfortable and didn't feel like participating bc of this. I ran into other participants later that day and they actually noticed it and because of this behavior was afraid to ask questions as well. It was not warm or welcoming.

Chef was engaging and informative. I liked meeting the other participants and VOTING on our menu. Fun trip to market. Really enjoyable 2-2.5 hour experience. I hope Chef Oscar emails us the recipes.

What an amazing experience! The chef and crew were absolutely amazing and patient with such big groups. The walk to the market was such an unexpected highlight. Meeting and sharing the experience with literally people from across the world was even more amazing! This is a must do!!!

This was such a one of a kind experience! This was one of my favorite meals in Oaxaca and the fact that we made it ourselves was so special. The host Oscar was so sweet and knowledgable. I enjoyed learning about all of the ingredients used in Oaxacan cuisine while at the supermarket as well. 10/10 would highly recommend.

Emily gave us several choices for appetizers, soups, entrees, and desserts. The walk to the market and experience in the market were delightful. Best market walk of any of the many cooking classes we have taken.

This experience was excellent! At the beginning of the class we decided what to make and everyone participated in the prep and cooking. The trip to the market (before cooking) was very informative, with Oscar pointing out local plants that can be used for cooking/healing. We prepared several courses (including desert) and everything was delicious. Don’t be late to this class - your don’t want to miss anything!

Arrived on early flight and within hours found delight in this cooking class. Oscar, Emily and Ampara make a great team for this 5+ course of recipes. We learned tortillas, salsas, rellenos, soups, tamales, margaritas using local techniques and ingredients. The market tour was helpful and fun immersion into local culture, produce and ingredients.

I did the cooking class at Casa Crespo solo in english language. The cooking class was hosted by chef Oscar Carrizosa. First we visited a local market. On the way to the market and on the market itself he explained a lot about the typical ingrediants used in the Oaxacanian cuisine. Back at the coocking school I was teached to do 5 typical plates, which I was able to choose before. The result tasted amazing. Absolutely recommendable !

I didn't like this experience very much, I don't think it was for me. First, the pluses: If your goal is to enjoy successfuly completed some mexican dishes in a way you will be able to reproduce at home, this is great. The quality of food was exceptional at the end. We loved his recipes. I enjoyed stopping on way to the market to look at some local plants used in cooking. I have taken a star off this experience as I didn't really feel like we were hosted particularly well. We arrived, rushed through menu choices and were then whisked off to the market. No offer of a glass of water/use the bathroom. The market trip felt rushed and it felt inappropriate for us to stop and get anything to eat or drink. I personally wanted more of a focus on enjoying the market and understanding the novel fruits and veg. I also really like a cooking class as a way to enjoy local culture, but it was not very immersive in that way (eg host is not joining you at the table to enjoy the meal, it is just a business). If the Market is your focus rather than cooking I'd recommend another tour. Otherwise, this is a great way to get some good recipes.

Very informative and interactive! Food was excellent and filling. Very warm and hospitable people and the tour guide was very friendly

Oscar and the rest of the workers at Casa Crespo gave me an amazing experience learning about the different foods and plants used in traditional Oaxacan meals. We did the full course meal class and got to choose our choices of appetizers, drinks, main course, and desert and then went to get ingredients from the local market. He really immersed us into the culture and taught us how to make all of the food and food included everyone in our group equally. Everything was organized perfectly, very clean, and delicious!!

I thought this was really great – the information, the cooking, the flavours – and I would recommend it!

My husband and I had the most wonderful experience at Flavors of Oaxaca! Taking cooking classes there was a dream come true for my husband, who has always wanted to learn how to cook authentic Mexican food. We chose this place based on the recommendation of our friend Mariana, who knows a lot about Oaxacan cuisine and culture—and she was absolutely right! We participated in two day-long classes, and each day started with a visit to the local market to select fresh vegetables and ingredients. It was such a vibrant and enriching experience to explore the local produce and see where the magic begins. After the market, we returned to Casa Crespo for our cooking sessions. Chef Oscar and his team were warm, welcoming, and incredibly professional. They made us feel completely at home while also teaching us so much—not just about the food, but also about the deep cultural roots and traditions behind each dish. Cooking and sharing the experience with fellow participants from Australia and Germany added even more richness and connection to the classes. We left with full hearts, happy stomachs, and a new appreciation for the flavors and traditions of Oaxaca. Highly recommended for anyone looking to immerse themselves in authentic Mexican culture through food!

Excellent experience! Chef Oscar Crespo did an amazing job. We learned a lot about Oaxaca cuisine. We learned and we laughed a lot. I’ll definitely recommend this experience.

Taking this Oaxaca cooking class was one of the highlights of my trip! The instructor was incredibly knowledgeable, welcoming, and passionate about Oaxacan cuisine. We started with a market tour, where we learned about local ingredients and picked out fresh produce. Then, back in the kitchen, we prepared traditional dishes like mole, handmade tortillas, ceviche, and sopa de Flor de calabaza con champinones from scratch. Everything was absolutely delicious! The hands-on experience, combined with the rich cultural insights, made the class both fun and educational. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or a beginner, this class is a must-do in Oaxaca. Highly recommend!

My fifth time at Casa Crespo! Honestly this is the reason I return to Oaxaca (the city is also wonderful). Oscar is simply brilliant. Every cooking class is unique. It is so much fun, educational and cultural!

What an amazing experience! To say Oscar is the consummate host is an understatement. After deciding on our menu, we headed to the market where Oscar showed and explained a variety of fruits and vegetables. We returned to the Casa and began the process of cooking out multi course meal. Everyone was involved as we created the best meal we had in Oaxaca. He even emails the recipes and instructions so we can attempt to recreate the meal. We couldn't recommend this more.

100% worth doing, definitely exceeded my expectations. Our guide and translator was excellent, she took us on a great tour of a local market and the cooking part of the class was well organized and of course delicious. It was great fun meeting people from across the globe all wanting to take this class.

Oscar was simply wonderful to learn from and listen to during our cooking class. He took us to the local market and taught us about so many of the native plants, flowers, fruit and so much more! I would absolutely recommend this experience to anyone looking to gain more knowledge of traditional Oaxaca flavors and the skills to create delicious meals that will be sure to impress! I would definitely take another class from Oscar!

Great experience! We were lucky and had a small group of only five of us which made the class intimate. It was a good balance of market tour, information and learning the recipes. The food was authentic and tasted amazing. Highly recommend!

Nicely paced market tour and cooking class! The different settings and pacing made it easy to stay engaged. We also enjoyed the balance between hands-on opportunities to cook and Oscar and the staff helping with clean up and set up to keep the class moving along efficiently. We had a nice group of just 6 of us and we enjoyed lunch together. They also served us a margarita, some mezcal, and iced tea. No complaints!

It was more of a cooking demonstration followed by lunch than a cooking class. It wasn't terribly engaging. We did visit the market which was fun to see.

What a GREAT experience!! The pacing and interactivity was perfect! Menu decisions were based on majority votes, and while we started a dish, we then went to the market where corn was dropped off for grinding into masa for the tortillas, and walking through the market was awesome! Back to the kitchen where we made ceviche, marinated pork, tortillas (plain and with vegs), soup with squash blossoms and mole. A finish of chocolate ice cream—all accompanied by a margarita we made, mezcal and aqua fresca. Making all these items seemed to “easy” to replicate at home! Thank you so much, Oscar!!

Enjoyed this class with our two young boys 4 & 6. They did a great job including our children allowing them to cut things with(children safe knives) roll tamales etc. the food was good and there was plenty of it. Our group was pretty large though at 19 people, made it hard for everyone to get the most of it.