Cookies! They are not just something we eat. This site uses cookies so we can provide you the best user experience and deliver advertising and offers that are relevant to you. To read more about our cookie policy, including how to change your cookie settings, please read our Privacy and Cookie Policy. By continuing to use the site you are agreeing to our cookie policy.

Host: Sofia

Mérida, Mexico

USD
$48-$88 per person

Traditional Yucatecan cuisine and cooking class in a homey atmosphere in Mexico

Host offerings
  • House
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Sofia

Born in Mérida, Sofia delights in preparing local Yucatecan and Mayan dishes that showcase the cultural heritage of the Yucatán Peninsula. An accomplished home-cook, Sofia learned to cook from her mother and grandmother and says the talent runs in the family.

For the last 20 years Sofia has run a home-stay for visitors to Mérida and you might meet some of the guests during your visit. Sofia loves having guests in her home and gets great pleasure by sharing her Yucatecan culture through food and a pleasant conversation.
“I've been receiving guest at home for more than 20 years, and each one of them takes a bit of my heart with them but they also leave a bit of theirs!”

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-10 guests) Yucatecan cuisine has been influenced by a variety of cultures, from the indigenous Mayan people, to the Spanish colonizers, to the Dutch and Lebanese who migrated to the region. Sofia prepares traditional Yucatecan dishes such as sikil pak con tostadas (traditional dip made from ground pumpkin seeds, served with tortilla chips), sopa de lima (chicken soup with lime), Yucatecan tamales, which are wrapped banana leaf, empanadas de chaya con queso de bola (pastries flecked with a local green, chaya, stuffed with Edam cheese), pollo o cochinita pibil (perhaps the Yucatan’s most famous dish of slow-cooked chicken or pork which has been marinated in an achiote and sour orange marinade, wrapped in banana leaves). For dessert Sofia serves homey dishes like dulce de papaya con queso de bola (papaya stewed in sugar served with Edam cheese). Please note that family in Mexico can be very social so you may be joined by members of Sofia's family who stop by on occasion.

Cooking experience: (1-17 guests) Step inside the kitchen with Sofia for a practical, hands-on Merida cooking class of Yucatecan and Mayan favorites. Sofia will teach you to prepare traditional recipes from scratch so be prepared to get your hands dirty! You will learn to prepare the entire meal as well as a fiery habanero salsa. You can expect the cooking lesson to last about 3 hours, followed by your meal. Sofia can accommodate vegetarian diets in her Mexican cooking class in Merida. Please note that Sofia lives in a modest home with no air-conditioning. In summer months, it may be warm.

Market visit: (1-10 guests) Meet Sofia at her home and then go to Chuburná Market for a tour of the vendor's stalls. She will teach you about the regional produce on offer and you’ll pick up a few ingredients before returning to her home for your cooking lesson.

Notes: Sofia's home is also a homestay. While your Traveling Spoon experience will be private, there may be other guests present in her home. Also, there is no AC in Sofia's home.

Languages spoken: English, Spanish

PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Sofia did an incredible job of introducing me to both Mayan and Yucatecan cuisine. Every dish we made was steeped in tradition and history. I loved making my own tortilla chips and dips, as well as trying lesser-known dishes like spiced fish steamed in banana leaves. Everything we made was mouth watering, and Sofia offered cooking tricks and tips every step of the way. She truly loves Yucatecan culture, and is always happy to talk about its history, its traditions and, best of all, its food!

Heather, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

4.94 (63)
The evening at Sofiá's was wonderful! She gave us a very warm welcome and we were able to find her house without any problems. After a few stories about her family, we started preparing the many different dishes. She gave us lots of tips and let us try everything, including typical and special drinks. A great ending was eating together on the terrace. The table was lovingly set. With Mexican music in the background, we were able to end the evening comfortably. Thank you Sofia for the great experience!
- Franziska August 12, 2024
Sofia was so lovely and she shared some of the history of her family, which was interesting. We cooked six different dishes plus sauces with local ingredients and we learned so much. Everything was delicious and the best part is we feel like we can do this at home now. My kids are 18 & 20 and they don't cook very much, but they also enjoyed the experience.
- Heidi August 08, 2024
We had an amazing time, learning not only about many local dishes but also some culture and history. Would recommend this experience to absolutely everyone!
- Anne P April 24, 2024
Better than Airbnb! Sofia was such an outstanding host, guide and chef! I didn’t realize how at home I would feel and how authentic the experience felt. Everything from going to Sofia’s local market and purchasing in-season fresh produce to cook, to being in her home kitchen prepping a meal fit for royalty. Can’t wait to bring my parents to visit and show them the local cuisine from the artist herself. Thank you Sofia!!
- 79Gavinf February 24, 2024
We had a fabulous day with Sofia. We learned a lot at the market and thoroughly enjoyed the class. Sofia is charming, entertaining and extremely knowledgeable. The food we made was superb and I am looking forward to sharing a Yucatecan meal with our friends at home.
- Vacation January 31, 2024
We had a wonderful time learning to cook Yucatean dishes with Sofia. She welcomed us into her home and guided us through the processes involved in a range of traditional dishes. After all the preparation we sat down and ate together. Delicious!
- Hilary R January 30, 2024
Wow what a day! We so enjoyed our cooking experience with Sofia. She was very warm and welcoming us into her beautiful home. She is an amazing chef, teaching us so new techniques for cooking. The food was glorious. We cannot recommend this experience more. Big thank you to Sofia for our Yucatan cooking experience.
- Avril_M January 26, 2024
Best time and amazing local food! We had such a great experience. Highly recommend to everyone who wants an authentic adventure.
- Tara_S January 23, 2024
Sofia's cooking class was wonderful. It was a major highlight of our trip to Merida and I recommend it unreservedly. Sofia is an interesting, intelligent woman with many cooking tips and she speaks good English. She will put you to work chopping and preparing. And then, at the end, you sit down to the lovely food you made together.
- 609julie January 13, 2024
Incredible food and Sofia was fun to be around. She allowed us to have a big part in the food prep- we learned a lot. Thank you!
- Quentine January 06, 2024
On our last evening in Mérida we were able to cook with Sofia and learn from her. It was a great experience! Here are a few highlights: - The meal was at Sofia's house. This gave us insights into the life and traditions of Sofia. (Since our cooking class was in October, Dia de Muertos was just around the corner). - Sofia is an excellent chef who cooks with passion and precision. - Her kitchen is very clean and professional. - She is hospitable and ensures that her guests have everything they need (drinks, snacks) at all times. - The menu is very extensive (2 snacks, starter, main course, dessert). - Only seasonal and local ingredients are used, but there are also tips on how the recipes can be adapted to the European supermarket range. All in all, we had a really great, entertaining evening, which we were able to end with an excellent meal and a local schnapps. Gracias Sofia!
- Elana_1111 October 23, 2023
Extraordinary experience. We learned delicious dishes, tips and tricks of Yucatecan cuisine. Ingredients that we had never seen before but the best thing was our teacher who welcomed us very warmly into her home and told us many family and state stories, very interesting. We left delighted. Additionally, he adapted the class so that my daughter could eat since she is a vegetarian. Everything was divine!!! Sofi is the best host and teacher❤️. I would take it again, without a doubt and highly recommend it.
- 802yolandal October 15, 2023
It was a great experience, Sofía is a great host, we learnt a lot about Yucatecan food & culture. Gracias Sofía por tu hospitalidad y buen hacer. Un abrazo!
- Txikis August 31, 2023
This was an amazing experience. A great opportunity to learn about the food, the culture and some Mayan history. And to get a glimpse into everyday life and homes in Merida. Sophia is a phenomenal cook and host and her English is even better than she says it is :)
- Seaside54978581685 August 04, 2023
Absolut best culinary school I've been to - and it has been a few! It turned put to be a privatr 1:1 teaching and I am so glad it wasn't cancelled since I was the only one. We covered a lot of dishes, all the spices and veggies were well explained, there were a lot of beverages to try as well. My host was incredibly attentive, funny, nice to talk to and the hygienic conditions were superb! It was a perfect day and I would recommend it 100% - don't miss it!
- GrandTravel June 07, 2023
We had a wonderful evening with Sofia who enthusiastically welcomed all 8 of us into her kitchen and treated us to a delightful hands-on cooking experience. She gave us a short cultural history of the different dishes we miraculously made and then she ushered us back to her porch where she had set a beautiful table that perfectly showed off our culinary efforts. Thank you, Sofia!
- leekO27 May 20, 2023
We had a wonderful evening with Sofia who enthusiastically welcomed all 8 of us into her kitchen and treated us to a delightful hands-on cooking experience. She gave us a short cultural history of the different dishes we miraculously made and then she ushered us back to her porch where she had set a beautiful table that perfectly showed off our culinary efforts. Thank you, Sofia!
- leekO27 May 20, 2023
My boyfriend and I had a wonderful time learning to cook lots of Mexican dishes with Sophia! She was so welcoming and taught us so many different recipes and explained the origins of the ingredients and dishes. The food was fantastic and we ate so much! We were given very clear instructions on how to get to Sophia's and had a great time with her. We can't wait to cook these dishes at home.
- sallyme April 27, 2023
We spent a fabulous day in Sophia's house, cooking together as a family with our 21 and 22 years children. It was a highlight of our holiday in Mexico. Sophia is a wonderful hostess with a huge energy and a passion for the Mayan culture. We learned about the Yucatan way of life, we tried fruit and vegetables that we had never heard of before and after all our hard work we shared a truly delicious meal together. I strongly recommend the experience, thank you Sophia!
- annapa April 13, 2023
Our family had an extraordinary cooking experience with Sofia yesterday! We are vegetarian, and she put together an amazing menu of Yucatecan dishes for us to make: empanadas de chaya, papadzules, codzitos, polcanes, and calabaza... together with homemade guacamole, salsa tomate, sikil pak (a dip made with toasted and ground pepitas and tomatoes), and salsa habanero. As we diced and chopped vegetables and kneaded and rolled out dough, Sofia explained the traditional ingredients of Yucatecan cooking to us and told us stories of the Yucatan's history, her family, and her love of cooking. We learned so many tips and "secrets," and we know we will be using them in our own cooking! Our whole family has studied spanish, so we told Sofia to feel free to speak only in spanish. Sofia was happy to do so, and she was wonderful and patient with us. As a result, we had an incredibly rich lesson in cooking, culture, and the spanish language that we will never forget! It was the very best cooking lesson we could ever imagine, all in the comfort of Sofia's own kitchen, where we snacked on bunuelos and refreshed ourselves with the Yucatan's oldest beer and homemade agua fresca made from steeped hibiscus. After cooking, we sat down to our feast and Sofia told us more stories as we ate and sampled another Yucatecan beer. Finally, toward the end of the experience, she introduced us to the Yucatan's most traditional liqueur, Xtabentún, before serving us a delicious cup of coffee. Thank you, Sofia, for being our wonderful teacher and guide! We will be taking the experience with us in our hearts, and hope countless others have a chance to meet and learn from you.
- brianDs March 21, 2023
Incredible food, friendship, and memories. Sofia was a remarkably prepared skillful and experienced host. From the outset, we were talking, laughing and cooking. Easily The best food I had my whole time in Mexico, both because it was remarkably delicious and full of stories with each dish of her family history, but also it was varied, fresh and prepared with our own hands. I spent the entire day cooking and eating and would have gladly stayed longer had it not been we had to leave for another appointment. Thanks so much for Sofia for the kindness, stories and forever memorable experience! Can’t wait to share all that I learned when home with my family and friends. Already bought ingredients to bring home and cook my first Yucateca meal.
- m5649 March 15, 2023
Incredible food, friendship, and memories. Sofia was a remarkably prepared skillful and experienced host. From the outset, we were talking, laughing and cooking. Easily The best food I had my whole time in Mexico, both because it was remarkably delicious and full of stories with each dish of her family history, but also it was varied, fresh and prepared with our own hands. I spent the entire day cooking and eating and would have gladly stayed longer had it not been we had to leave for another appointment. Thanks so much for Sofia for the kindness, stories and forever memorable experience! Can’t wait to share all that I learned when home with my family and friends. Already bought ingredients to bring home and cook my first Yucateca meal.
- M5649 March 15, 2023
We visited Sofia in her home during our honeymoon to the Yucatán peninsula. Sofia not only takes you step by step through the preparation and cooking process, she weaves in the Yucatecan and her own personal history in to why and how she cooks her food in the manner that she does. We would go back in a heartbeat! We suggest reserving an entire day for this activity and not making any reservations for dinner the evening you take this class. You will be quite full and happy afterwards!
- Malter3 March 01, 2023
We had a fabulous day with Sofia yesterday. She is a warm and welcoming home cook. We all learned new, helpful and surprising techniques. The food we prepared with Sofia’s patient guidance was delicious! We highly recommend cooking with Sofia.
- RRrr918 February 05, 2023
My husband and I regularly attend cooking classes when we travel and I would rate the class with Sofia as the best for a number of reasons. She is a most gracious host, an excellent instructor and her cooking is incredible. On arrival we were given options for what we might cook and we got to choose each course. We then went to the local market to purchase the ingredients. Back in her kitchen she guided us on how to chop the vegetables, how to fry tortilla chips and more. While we prepared the meal, we enjoyed guacamole and sikilpak. Sofia uses recipes from her grandmother and they are amazing. After the class Sofia shares these recipes. I look forward to trying to make her sopa de lima. The best!! Without a doubt our day with Sofia was the highlight of our stay in Merida. We hope to return to the city and will definitely book a day with Sofia.
- joannes January 19, 2023
Cooking in Merida with Sofia is not to be missed. She has a vast knowledge of Yucatán cuisine and is a wonderful instructor. From our trip to the Mercado to food preparation to our meal, it was the perfect day. We have taken cooking classes all over the world and Sofia’s class is up there with the best of them. Please do yourself a favor and cook with Sofia.
- Craig M January 17, 2023
Sofia introduced us to ingredients unique to the Yucatan and showed us how to use them to create a delicious meal - perfect for your next dinner party. Her class is not only a demonstration, but also features a hands-on component which includes learning how to chop vegetables and fruit, techniques for rolling up tortillas to make codzitas, creating tortillas from scratch to use for panuchos and so much more. My husband is a professional chef and he and I learned many new things.
- barbara January 08, 2023
My husband and I and his parents enjoyed a private cooking class with Sofía. We got to make several typical Yucatecan dishes (including relleno negro and handmade tortillas) and also learned a lot about Yucatán's history and Mayan culture as well as the story of Sofía's family. We had a lot of fun and the meal was amazing! Sofía is very patient and kind - a very generous host. I highly recommend this experience to anyone interested in food culture and connecting with locals.
- Andrea January 05, 2023
Sophia was absolutely amazing. We learned tons of cooking tricks that Sophia had learned from her grandmother. She also taught us all about Yucatecan culture, history, and foodways. And then we sat around her lovely courtyard table and enjoyed the delicious feast we had just created! What an amazing day!!!!
- Jonathan January 05, 2023
Spending time with Sofia, in her home, was a memory I will always cherish. She has such a warm soul, and she makes you feel like family. Her recipes were tasty, flavorful, and full of color.
- Samantha December 18, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed my cooking experience with Sofia. She does not mix participants, so I had the benefit of one-on-one instruction – great, even if it did show up my rather ham-handed efforts at making tortillas in comparison to hers! We made a total of five typical Yucatán dishes, pretty much from scratch. Not only is Sofia a great cook, but she makes a real effort in the presentation too – so getting to eat what we prepared (to be honest, mainly Sofia), was a visual and gastronomic treat! Be aware however, that good food takes time to prepare – so having started at 5 pm, we didn’t start to eat until a little after 10.
- Oliver November 05, 2022
My mom and I had the most amazing time cooking with Sofia in her beautiful home. Exceeded all of our expectations. We could’ve spent all night talking to Sofia about her life and the culture and gastronomy of Mérida. Our lesson was extremely thorough and we have never before had a meal cooked with so much love and passion. Cooking with Sofia has been the highlight of my trip and everyone MUST do this when traveling to the Yucatán.
- annam October 11, 2022
Sophia gave us a good, clear, and well-organized lesson. We simultaneously prepared a set of dishes and always knew where we were and what we were doing. As another reviewer said, Sophia was passionate about food. We would add that she was passionate about people, engaging on a personal level rather than simply showing us how to do what.
- James September 09, 2022
Very friendly host who took the time to cook for us with top tips! Pleasant to be at home, very organized. It was perfect and excellent
- Amelie March 30, 2022
We enjoyed in Sofia's dedication, new flavours, completly new ingredients, cultural insights. It was the best time in Jucatan. Every moment was fulfilling and joyful.
- Vinja_K February 15, 2022
This was such an amazing opportunity. So thankful Sophia shared her culture and recipes. The food was authentic and delicious. Learned lots of tips and tricks too.
- Nadja January 17, 2022
This was a wonderful experience! Sophia invites you into her kitchen and shares her Mayan knowledge and her grandmother's recipes, passed down through many generations. We had a wonderful time and know so much more about the Mayans
- Nadine January 11, 2022
Wonderful day with Sophia ! Best Yucatán food experience we had. We went to the local market and learnt a lot of stuff about Mexican food Then, we cooked and made different meals Finally we shared a very good lunch This is not just a cooking class, but also a amazing day with Sophia. Don’t hesitate !
- Cecev90 December 30, 2021
On our last evening in Merida we cooked with Sofia. When we arrived we were offered a horchata. Sofia had discussed the dishes with us in advance and we had the opportunity to change the dishes that should be cooked. This gave us the opportunity to cook dishes that we had not yet tried during our stay in Yucatan. The dishes that we prepared together with her tasted very good. Only bottled water was used for cooking. So you don't have to worry. Sofia works very precisely and precisely. The boards used and the knives were washed several times so that each dish tastes as it should taste. We had a lot of fun cooking with Sofia and we recommend it to everyone who wants to try something new.
- Lenakau December 07, 2021
I enjoyed my experience very much. Sofia was full of knowledge in regards to the Mayan culture and of Mérida history. It was very hands on and she explains everything very well. Explains the difference in the foods found in the Yucatan. What we prepared was delicious. I especially loved the sopa de lima and the dessert caballeros pobres. One of my favorite experiences here. Thank you Sofia for your hospitality.
- Juan S November 29, 2021
Sofía is a great host and she loves sharing her grandmother's recipes with people. During the cooking process she makes sure that alternatives are given so much that the recipes, which will be shared via the email after class can be re-cooked in when we you're back at home. And, for me the best, there are a lot of opportunities to try the foods while prepping it. Definitely a great experience.
- Veronika November 25, 2021
Anyone interested in Yucatecan cuisine should have the experience of cooking with Sofia. We thoroughly enjoyed our time learning about the regional food, drinks, customs and eating some delicious dishes. Sofia was a great host - very welcoming, patient and knowledgeable. The time went by so quickly as we were having such a good time. The food we cooked was amazing and everything was delicious. Even my husband who can be a picky eater loved it all. Can't wait to try the recipes at home, especially that tomato sauce! Wow...highly recommend.
- Michie November 05, 2021
Best experience in Merida!! Sophia was super nice and welcoming, she took the time to explain everything and we were able to ask as many questions as we wanted to. Aaaand the food was AMAZING! A must do!
- y3972 October 24, 2021
We had a wonderful cooking expierence with Sofia. After a visit at the local market wie learned everthing qbout our dishes we cooked and how to prepqir it. At the end we had a late lunch with her at her porch. We could ask her all the question about mexico we want to know and got extra tips how to substitute some special ingrediences at home.
- A2657S September 23, 2021
It was fun and food was very delicious. Sofia is very friendly and moves efficiently. I learnt a lot about cooking in general not only about Yucatan dishes. She told me that she is not a chef and changed some ways of cooking traditional Yucatan dishes. Because traditional ways could take a few days sometimes... But I enjoyed her way of cooking and appreciate that she invented faster ways to cook. I found it's very practical, so I can make those dishes when I go back home. The whole cooking took us 3 hrs but she offered cold beer in between so it was fun! She also told me that I'm her first student in 1 year and 8 months because she had to close the business due to COVID. I could tell she was very excited to teach and that made me feel special. After we are done cooking, we had dinner together. She showed me how to serve in certain ways along with some more cooking tips. I highly recommend taking this cooking class with Sofia if you ever come visit Merida. She also offer home stay with meals included!
- Tong_G September 04, 2021
I was very impressed by Sofia’s knowledge of Yucatan cuisine. I have been a long lover of Mexican food but was not familiar particularly with the cuisine of the Yucatán peninsula. Private cooking lesson with Sofia. I asked Sofia if we could make tamales and although she informed me it wasn’t often travellers requested this, she managed to fulfil my request. I didn’t realise how long tamales took to make (we took 5 hours + eating time!) so I am very appreciative of Sofia’s persistence for this. It was just us two as I was a solo traveller. We also make guacamole, several salsas, not one but 3 types of tamales + dessert. I was very full after the experience and it was a pleasure meeting Sofia and dining with her house guests.
- Nathanality March 12, 2020
The six of us spent the day with Sophia and experienced authentic Yucatecan cooking, from shopping in the beautiful local Mexican market to preparing 7 wonderful dishes in her home. Sophia is a joy, English is good and she prepares recipes passed down from generations. We all left with a new appreciation of Yucatecan tradition, some family history and printed recipes. Gracias Sophia.
- Odyssey787305 January 14, 2020
We spent a day with Sofia, cooking traditional Yucatan recipes and had a fantastic experience. She is very knowledgable and incredibly chatty, a lot of fun and made us (two twenty something year old girls) feel very welcome - even when our chopping was sub par! We left with a recipe book and incredibly full stomachs (though don’t go hungry, it’s five hours of prep to get through!) Would recommend to anyone in Merida, as it’s a lovely day out.
- charlottew514 November 26, 2019
Pasé un día extraordinario en esta clase de cocina.Sofia fue increible durante todo el Día. Comparte su amor por la cocina Yucateca y por su región.La visita del Mercado fue fenomenal. Me mostraba cada ingrediente y me explicaba los origenes de cada uno, y como se cocinaba. Me llevó a todos los sitios, frutas y hortalizas, especies, carne, pescado, artesania, etc. Fue muy interesante la visita y ayuda mucho en saber lo que vas a cocinar.Luego cocinamos casi 4 horas. Varias entrantes muy tipicas y deliciosas, y pollo pibil con arroz y platano frito. Sofia explica muy bien cada etapa, y otra vez, comparte toda su pasión por la cocina.Recomiendo 300% una clase con Sofia en Merida. Merece mucho la Pena.
- aureliegonzalo October 05, 2019
We (family with 2 children - age 10 and 12) had a superb day with Daniel and Julieta: the visit to the market and the cooking and eating in the lovely house of Julieta. Learned a lot about the Yucatan cuisine and the food was delicious. I would really recommend this tour to anyone who likes to do something different then the 'usual tourist activities'. Especially for families with children/teens I can recommend it. Our girls really enjoyed it: they learned a lot about fruits, herbs and veggies at the market and now they know how to make a perfect guacemole and banana empanadas!! Thanks again Daniel and Julieta!!
- HannekeJanssen May 06, 2019
To say that Sophia Casellas goes the extra mile does not describe our amazing day with her! We had suggested a few Yucatacan recipes that we would like to make and Sophia made them all. Sophia picked us up at our hotel and we headed to Luis Galvez market, the largest market in Merida, where we spent a full morning enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the market. At the market Sophia carefully selected every fruit and vegetable that was to go into our meal. She described what each item was and what was in season at the time of our visit. The market was pretty overwhelming but Sophia knew which vendors had the best fruits, vegetables and spices.After shopping, Sophia drove us to her home where we began preparing our feast. We made: guacamole, sikil pak (a dip with tomatoes and ground pumpkin seeds), empanadas de chaya, tortitas de chaya, ceviche (this she had prepared the night before), salsa de tomate (tomato sauce), chile kut (a sauce made with roasted habaneros, lemon and garlic), pollo pibil (chicken in annatto or achiote, sauce), rice, fried plantains, picked onions, and for dessert, mousse de mamey (a fruit indigenous to the Yucatan). After an afternoon of cooking, we moved to a beautifully set table on her patio where we enjoyed an amazing meal. Sophia is, to put it mildly, amazing! Not only is she an incredible cook, she explained the native fruits and vegetables and how they are used in Yucatanian cooking. At the end of the evening, she presented us with all of the recipes we had prepared and what we could substitute for the Yucatan items. If you have an opportunity to take one of her classes, jump at the chance. You will not be disappointed!
- Trudy B March 17, 2019
Our instructor Sofia picked us up at our hotel in Merida and took us to the big market here. It was very interesting seeing so many new fruits and veggies we don't have in the USA! Afterwards we cooked up several dishes at her house. Sofia is extremely knowledgeable on Yucatecan cuisine. She had so many great tips. Afterwards we all sat down at a lovely table she had prepared and dined on what we had prepared. Superb! Such a treat. Sofia is delightful and warm. Great experience!!
- TravelingWieners March 17, 2019
We booked this cooking class end of October 2018 and we're glad we did - we received an authentic experience in a Yucatecan kitchen. We started around 11 AM with some local snacks Sofia had prepared for us (guava paste with cheese, jicama, dulce de papaya madura) and a local beer. We then proceeded to cook the 12-item menu Sofia had planned for us. We got some very helpful insider tips for tackling Yucatecan cuisine. We finished with a delicious, well-deserved meal in her backyard topped off by coffee and Xtabentun (Honey meets Pastis/Sambuca). Overall, the class was about 4-5h, including the meal at the end. Time flew by in Sofia's company.Thanks for a great experience Sofia!P.s. sorry for the delay in writing a review :)
- thisjustine123 January 06, 2019
We booked this cooking class for November 2018. We took a Taxi to get to Sofias place and started the cooking class. She explained us every detail about the ingredients and the story behind. We learned sooo much about the culture and it was a lot of fun. She explained us what we have to do and after 4hours we could finally eat and it was so delicious and healthy. It felt like Sofia was a friend we knew since long time. If you want to learn how to cook yucatecan food, and learn a lot about the mayan traditions than try this class! It takes up to 4hours since you do everything from scratch, so be patient. Would totally recommend <3 Gracias Sofia y hasta pronto! Tus amigas Suizas
- lebana_martinez November 15, 2018
I had an great day with Sofia: right from the start she was helpful and gracious. She quickly adjusted her plans when my partner got sick and cancelled early in the day. Sofia very kindly drove her back to the place where we were staying and carried on with just me. We visited both the large downtown market and the smaller local market, and she explained many of the ingredients, encouraging me to try new fruits and taste spice pastes. She was very knowledgeable about the cuisine and her english communication skills were very good. She made sure that all her ingredients were safe for my food allergy and carefully washed all fresh ingredients in purified water. She also went to great effort so that I could learn about as many Yucatecan dishes as possible. We made papadzules (so delicious), salsas, pollo pibil, drinks and several botanas. The full day program (market plus cooking and dining) took 6 hours and it was an interesting but tiring day. If you have less time you can request a visit to the very small local market: all the ingredients are there but it is much less hassle than getting to the the large market and back. Or you could skip the market and do just the cooking and dining. This is not a professional cooking school experience; it is an experience of cooking with a local person in her home. You should be prepared to work in a very warm kitchen and do significant food prep while learning about the ingredients. The neighbourhood was a quiet residential area of tidy family homes. It was nice to meet Sofia's family members; for me it was interesting to learn about their lives and share a meal with them. Two small recommendations that I would make to improve the experience: although juice drinks were offered throughout it would be good to offer guests some food early on (I was hungry by the time we ate at 3pm). And I would recommend that the host handout the recipes to guests on arrival. I look forward to receiving the recipes by email soon and to making some of these dishes for friends. This was an extremely valuable hands-on experience that I would recommend to anyone with an open mind and heart who wants to learn about authentic Yucatecan home cooking.
- 2due April 12, 2018
What can I say, we've done a few cooking experiences over the years and thoroughly enjoyed them and this was not what we expected or enjoyed. I'm surprised by all the great reviews, because what we experienced was really not fun OR enjoyable. We arrived at the home in an area that seemed a little sketchy compared with the area (downtown) where we were staying. We were greeted at the door by a woman who spoke no English and had on a very stained tshirt. We didn't know if this was Sofia or not. It wasn't she was the maid. Sofia appeared in a few minutes and was dressed very nicely. The home was tiny and the kitchen where we did the prep work was a 2 person kitchen and there were 3 of us plus Sofia. We sat at a table 3 feet from the stove. Sofia's English is quite basic, but one of our group spoke Spanish so it helped. We spent the next 4 1/2 hrs. mostly chopping vegetables. Something we didn't need to learn. We weren't offered ANYTHING to eat during the 4 1/2 hrs. We snuck tastes when Sofia wasn't looking. We also had to ask for water at the beginning. The only other drink offered during this time was some Tamarind water. Other cooking classes we'd been to offered drinks and snacks throughout. Remember we came hungry expecting to eat. Sofia wasn't very organized always trying to find things to use. It would have been a 2 hour experience if she had pre-chopped everything and was organized. The kitchen was unbearably hot. With 5 burners going and no a/c we were all sweating including Sofia. During this 4 1/2 hr sweat shop, her sister stopped in twice, her niece stopped in, and her mother stopped in. She took time to talk with all of them which was surprising and annoying. Finally at 9:30 (we started at 5pm to prepare the food) we went to the patio to eat the food we'd prepared. It was nicely set and she had her niece join us. The niece was nice and spoke perfect English, but it seemed inappropriate to have other guests during our paid experience. We also had to share 1 quart of beer between the 5 of us. No margaritas, no wine, etc. The food was just ok. Some of the experience was interesting with a few ingredients we weren't familiar with, but mostly we all felt like we'd worked in a sweat shop. Finally, the worst part was that at the end, Sofia was relentless on pushing us to write good reviews on Travelingspoon and Viator. I'm giving her her wish, sort of. I do think Sofia could be a good teacher, but a few things need to happen. She needs to improve her English, she needs a different house with a larger kitchen and A/C. She needs to understand that she could have things pre-chopped and everything organized and ready to go. Also, eating and drinking while we learned would have been appreciated and expected. This was a bust and something I would not recommend, at least until it's totally revised.
- Curt T April 04, 2018
From the minute you arrive in Sophia‘s home you’ll be culturally immersed. Her menu was all inclusive-12 items in total. The class covered everything from how to peel a sour orange, slice an onion, how to blacken red peppers stove top, grind spices, and tips on banana leaf handling. Plan to roll up your sleeves, work hard and eat well! It got warm in the kitchen so dress for it. I brought my own Mexican wine. She had one beer for my husband. Not an issue. We were busy eating! One of the highlights of our trip to the Yucatán!
- MJFIRE1 February 19, 2018
Our family had a great experience with Sofia and were very happy with the many dishes she taught us to prepare and the effort she made to properly introduce us to the ingredients and educate us about them. She provided interesting information about the influences Spaniards/Europeans had on traditional Mayan recipes. Since our group had one person with dietary restrictions, Sofia went out of her way to customize the menu to accommodate everyone and get very fresh ingredients, which was greatly appreciated. The food was delicious and our family will surely use the recipes she provided in the future. Since we were a larger group, the cooking portion of the activity took a bit over 4 hours. At the risk of stating the obvious, the kitchen got very warm with all the cooking going on, so I recommend dressing for hot weather! Overall, a highly recommended experience.
- 303alannam December 26, 2017
Sofia was me engaging host with a long connection to the area. We started with some local seasonal fruit before cooking amazing food over a period of 3-4 hours. All food was made fresh and prepared while we were there. Sofia was also able to conduct the class in English which was great.All things told a great experience. Note: there is a $7 USD alcoholic beverage option which we paid for. This turned out to be 1 large bottle of beer between both of us and was a disappointing element of the package.
- Mark-beauie December 04, 2017
Sofia is a local gem :) Her family from her mother side has been in Merida since the 1500s ! Talk about somebody to learn a lot from. We did the market tour, cooking class, and meal at her wonderful casa. The experience was unforgettable and a fun way to spend a full day. If you're in a rush, just do the meal and have some of the best panuchos and sopa de lima of your life.
- Jon B November 11, 2017
Sofia was such a gracious hostess, a wonderful "chef," and a very effective teacher. Our experience was very relaxed and hands-on. We loved doing most of the cooking, guided by Sofia's expertise. She was lots of fun and the food turned out DELICIOUS!!
- Carol J October 06, 2017
Sofia was such a gracious hostess, a wonderful "chef", and a very effective teacher. Our experience was very relaxed and hand-on. We loved doing most of the cooking, guided by Sofia's expertise. She was lots of fun and the food turned out DELICIOUS!!!
- Carol Jones February 04, 2017
Cooking and dining with Sophia was a pleasure. She truly loves Yucatecan culture and is very knowledgeable about its history, traditions, and especially food! I especially enjoyed learning about the differences between Mayan and Yucatecan cuisine. Sophia also has a flare for plating, so a camera is a must!
- Heather March 10, 2016
Read More
050e1914 9390 4b0d 98b2 dffe92874dae

Sofia

$48-$88 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
$56 $48 $48
Cooking Experience + Meal
$72 $68 $68
Market Tour + Meal
$80 $72 $72
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$88 $84 $84
Alcohol
$8 per person
Transportation
$64 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
$56 $48 $48
Cooking Experience + Meal
$72 $68 $68
Market Tour + Meal
$80 $72 $72
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$88 $84 $84
Alcohol
$8 per person
Transportation
$64 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
2:00pm-4:00pm 7:30pm-9:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
11:00am-4:00pm 5:00pm-10:00pm
Market Tour+ Meal
9:00am-1:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
9:00am-6:00pm

Meet Sofia

Born in Mérida, Sofia delights in preparing local Yucatecan and Mayan dishes that showcase the cultural heritage of the Yucatán Peninsula. An accomplished home-cook, Sofia learned to cook from her mother and grandmother and says the talent runs in the family.

For the last 20 years Sofia has run a home-stay for visitors to Mérida and you might meet some of the guests during your visit. Sofia loves having guests in her home and gets great pleasure by sharing her Yucatecan culture through food and a pleasant conversation.
“I've been receiving guest at home for more than 20 years, and each one of them takes a bit of my heart with them but they also leave a bit of theirs!”

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-10 guests) Yucatecan cuisine has been influenced by a variety of cultures, from the indigenous Mayan people, to the Spanish colonizers, to the Dutch and Lebanese who migrated to the region. Sofia prepares traditional Yucatecan dishes such as sikil pak con tostadas (traditional dip made from ground pumpkin seeds, served with tortilla chips), sopa de lima (chicken soup with lime), Yucatecan tamales, which are wrapped banana leaf, empanadas de chaya con queso de bola (pastries flecked with a local green, chaya, stuffed with Edam cheese), pollo o cochinita pibil (perhaps the Yucatan’s most famous dish of slow-cooked chicken or pork which has been marinated in an achiote and sour orange marinade, wrapped in banana leaves). For dessert Sofia serves homey dishes like dulce de papaya con queso de bola (papaya stewed in sugar served with Edam cheese). Please note that family in Mexico can be very social so you may be joined by members of Sofia's family who stop by on occasion.

Cooking experience: (1-17 guests) Step inside the kitchen with Sofia for a practical, hands-on Merida cooking class of Yucatecan and Mayan favorites. Sofia will teach you to prepare traditional recipes from scratch so be prepared to get your hands dirty! You will learn to prepare the entire meal as well as a fiery habanero salsa. You can expect the cooking lesson to last about 3 hours, followed by your meal. Sofia can accommodate vegetarian diets in her Mexican cooking class in Merida. Please note that Sofia lives in a modest home with no air-conditioning. In summer months, it may be warm.

Market visit: (1-10 guests) Meet Sofia at her home and then go to Chuburná Market for a tour of the vendor's stalls. She will teach you about the regional produce on offer and you’ll pick up a few ingredients before returning to her home for your cooking lesson.

Notes: Sofia's home is also a homestay. While your Traveling Spoon experience will be private, there may be other guests present in her home. Also, there is no AC in Sofia's home.

Languages spoken: English, Spanish

PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Sofia did an incredible job of introducing me to both Mayan and Yucatecan cuisine. Every dish we made was steeped in tradition and history. I loved making my own tortilla chips and dips, as well as trying lesser-known dishes like spiced fish steamed in banana leaves. Everything we made was mouth watering, and Sofia offered cooking tricks and tips every step of the way. She truly loves Yucatecan culture, and is always happy to talk about its history, its traditions and, best of all, its food!

Heather, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

4.94 (63)
The evening at Sofiá's was wonderful! She gave us a very warm welcome and we were able to find her house without any problems. After a few stories about her family, we started preparing the many different dishes. She gave us lots of tips and let us try everything, including typical and special drinks. A great ending was eating together on the terrace. The table was lovingly set. With Mexican music in the background, we were able to end the evening comfortably. Thank you Sofia for the great experience!
- Franziska August 12, 2024
Sofia was so lovely and she shared some of the history of her family, which was interesting. We cooked six different dishes plus sauces with local ingredients and we learned so much. Everything was delicious and the best part is we feel like we can do this at home now. My kids are 18 & 20 and they don't cook very much, but they also enjoyed the experience.
- Heidi August 08, 2024
We had an amazing time, learning not only about many local dishes but also some culture and history. Would recommend this experience to absolutely everyone!
- Anne P April 24, 2024
Better than Airbnb! Sofia was such an outstanding host, guide and chef! I didn’t realize how at home I would feel and how authentic the experience felt. Everything from going to Sofia’s local market and purchasing in-season fresh produce to cook, to being in her home kitchen prepping a meal fit for royalty. Can’t wait to bring my parents to visit and show them the local cuisine from the artist herself. Thank you Sofia!!
- 79Gavinf February 24, 2024
We had a fabulous day with Sofia. We learned a lot at the market and thoroughly enjoyed the class. Sofia is charming, entertaining and extremely knowledgeable. The food we made was superb and I am looking forward to sharing a Yucatecan meal with our friends at home.
- Vacation January 31, 2024
We had a wonderful time learning to cook Yucatean dishes with Sofia. She welcomed us into her home and guided us through the processes involved in a range of traditional dishes. After all the preparation we sat down and ate together. Delicious!
- Hilary R January 30, 2024
Wow what a day! We so enjoyed our cooking experience with Sofia. She was very warm and welcoming us into her beautiful home. She is an amazing chef, teaching us so new techniques for cooking. The food was glorious. We cannot recommend this experience more. Big thank you to Sofia for our Yucatan cooking experience.
- Avril_M January 26, 2024
Best time and amazing local food! We had such a great experience. Highly recommend to everyone who wants an authentic adventure.
- Tara_S January 23, 2024
Sofia's cooking class was wonderful. It was a major highlight of our trip to Merida and I recommend it unreservedly. Sofia is an interesting, intelligent woman with many cooking tips and she speaks good English. She will put you to work chopping and preparing. And then, at the end, you sit down to the lovely food you made together.
- 609julie January 13, 2024
Incredible food and Sofia was fun to be around. She allowed us to have a big part in the food prep- we learned a lot. Thank you!
- Quentine January 06, 2024
On our last evening in Mérida we were able to cook with Sofia and learn from her. It was a great experience! Here are a few highlights: - The meal was at Sofia's house. This gave us insights into the life and traditions of Sofia. (Since our cooking class was in October, Dia de Muertos was just around the corner). - Sofia is an excellent chef who cooks with passion and precision. - Her kitchen is very clean and professional. - She is hospitable and ensures that her guests have everything they need (drinks, snacks) at all times. - The menu is very extensive (2 snacks, starter, main course, dessert). - Only seasonal and local ingredients are used, but there are also tips on how the recipes can be adapted to the European supermarket range. All in all, we had a really great, entertaining evening, which we were able to end with an excellent meal and a local schnapps. Gracias Sofia!
- Elana_1111 October 23, 2023
Extraordinary experience. We learned delicious dishes, tips and tricks of Yucatecan cuisine. Ingredients that we had never seen before but the best thing was our teacher who welcomed us very warmly into her home and told us many family and state stories, very interesting. We left delighted. Additionally, he adapted the class so that my daughter could eat since she is a vegetarian. Everything was divine!!! Sofi is the best host and teacher❤️. I would take it again, without a doubt and highly recommend it.
- 802yolandal October 15, 2023
It was a great experience, Sofía is a great host, we learnt a lot about Yucatecan food & culture. Gracias Sofía por tu hospitalidad y buen hacer. Un abrazo!
- Txikis August 31, 2023
This was an amazing experience. A great opportunity to learn about the food, the culture and some Mayan history. And to get a glimpse into everyday life and homes in Merida. Sophia is a phenomenal cook and host and her English is even better than she says it is :)
- Seaside54978581685 August 04, 2023
Absolut best culinary school I've been to - and it has been a few! It turned put to be a privatr 1:1 teaching and I am so glad it wasn't cancelled since I was the only one. We covered a lot of dishes, all the spices and veggies were well explained, there were a lot of beverages to try as well. My host was incredibly attentive, funny, nice to talk to and the hygienic conditions were superb! It was a perfect day and I would recommend it 100% - don't miss it!
- GrandTravel June 07, 2023
We had a wonderful evening with Sofia who enthusiastically welcomed all 8 of us into her kitchen and treated us to a delightful hands-on cooking experience. She gave us a short cultural history of the different dishes we miraculously made and then she ushered us back to her porch where she had set a beautiful table that perfectly showed off our culinary efforts. Thank you, Sofia!
- leekO27 May 20, 2023
We had a wonderful evening with Sofia who enthusiastically welcomed all 8 of us into her kitchen and treated us to a delightful hands-on cooking experience. She gave us a short cultural history of the different dishes we miraculously made and then she ushered us back to her porch where she had set a beautiful table that perfectly showed off our culinary efforts. Thank you, Sofia!
- leekO27 May 20, 2023
My boyfriend and I had a wonderful time learning to cook lots of Mexican dishes with Sophia! She was so welcoming and taught us so many different recipes and explained the origins of the ingredients and dishes. The food was fantastic and we ate so much! We were given very clear instructions on how to get to Sophia's and had a great time with her. We can't wait to cook these dishes at home.
- sallyme April 27, 2023
We spent a fabulous day in Sophia's house, cooking together as a family with our 21 and 22 years children. It was a highlight of our holiday in Mexico. Sophia is a wonderful hostess with a huge energy and a passion for the Mayan culture. We learned about the Yucatan way of life, we tried fruit and vegetables that we had never heard of before and after all our hard work we shared a truly delicious meal together. I strongly recommend the experience, thank you Sophia!
- annapa April 13, 2023
Our family had an extraordinary cooking experience with Sofia yesterday! We are vegetarian, and she put together an amazing menu of Yucatecan dishes for us to make: empanadas de chaya, papadzules, codzitos, polcanes, and calabaza... together with homemade guacamole, salsa tomate, sikil pak (a dip made with toasted and ground pepitas and tomatoes), and salsa habanero. As we diced and chopped vegetables and kneaded and rolled out dough, Sofia explained the traditional ingredients of Yucatecan cooking to us and told us stories of the Yucatan's history, her family, and her love of cooking. We learned so many tips and "secrets," and we know we will be using them in our own cooking! Our whole family has studied spanish, so we told Sofia to feel free to speak only in spanish. Sofia was happy to do so, and she was wonderful and patient with us. As a result, we had an incredibly rich lesson in cooking, culture, and the spanish language that we will never forget! It was the very best cooking lesson we could ever imagine, all in the comfort of Sofia's own kitchen, where we snacked on bunuelos and refreshed ourselves with the Yucatan's oldest beer and homemade agua fresca made from steeped hibiscus. After cooking, we sat down to our feast and Sofia told us more stories as we ate and sampled another Yucatecan beer. Finally, toward the end of the experience, she introduced us to the Yucatan's most traditional liqueur, Xtabentún, before serving us a delicious cup of coffee. Thank you, Sofia, for being our wonderful teacher and guide! We will be taking the experience with us in our hearts, and hope countless others have a chance to meet and learn from you.
- brianDs March 21, 2023
Incredible food, friendship, and memories. Sofia was a remarkably prepared skillful and experienced host. From the outset, we were talking, laughing and cooking. Easily The best food I had my whole time in Mexico, both because it was remarkably delicious and full of stories with each dish of her family history, but also it was varied, fresh and prepared with our own hands. I spent the entire day cooking and eating and would have gladly stayed longer had it not been we had to leave for another appointment. Thanks so much for Sofia for the kindness, stories and forever memorable experience! Can’t wait to share all that I learned when home with my family and friends. Already bought ingredients to bring home and cook my first Yucateca meal.
- m5649 March 15, 2023
Incredible food, friendship, and memories. Sofia was a remarkably prepared skillful and experienced host. From the outset, we were talking, laughing and cooking. Easily The best food I had my whole time in Mexico, both because it was remarkably delicious and full of stories with each dish of her family history, but also it was varied, fresh and prepared with our own hands. I spent the entire day cooking and eating and would have gladly stayed longer had it not been we had to leave for another appointment. Thanks so much for Sofia for the kindness, stories and forever memorable experience! Can’t wait to share all that I learned when home with my family and friends. Already bought ingredients to bring home and cook my first Yucateca meal.
- M5649 March 15, 2023
We visited Sofia in her home during our honeymoon to the Yucatán peninsula. Sofia not only takes you step by step through the preparation and cooking process, she weaves in the Yucatecan and her own personal history in to why and how she cooks her food in the manner that she does. We would go back in a heartbeat! We suggest reserving an entire day for this activity and not making any reservations for dinner the evening you take this class. You will be quite full and happy afterwards!
- Malter3 March 01, 2023
We had a fabulous day with Sofia yesterday. She is a warm and welcoming home cook. We all learned new, helpful and surprising techniques. The food we prepared with Sofia’s patient guidance was delicious! We highly recommend cooking with Sofia.
- RRrr918 February 05, 2023
My husband and I regularly attend cooking classes when we travel and I would rate the class with Sofia as the best for a number of reasons. She is a most gracious host, an excellent instructor and her cooking is incredible. On arrival we were given options for what we might cook and we got to choose each course. We then went to the local market to purchase the ingredients. Back in her kitchen she guided us on how to chop the vegetables, how to fry tortilla chips and more. While we prepared the meal, we enjoyed guacamole and sikilpak. Sofia uses recipes from her grandmother and they are amazing. After the class Sofia shares these recipes. I look forward to trying to make her sopa de lima. The best!! Without a doubt our day with Sofia was the highlight of our stay in Merida. We hope to return to the city and will definitely book a day with Sofia.
- joannes January 19, 2023
Cooking in Merida with Sofia is not to be missed. She has a vast knowledge of Yucatán cuisine and is a wonderful instructor. From our trip to the Mercado to food preparation to our meal, it was the perfect day. We have taken cooking classes all over the world and Sofia’s class is up there with the best of them. Please do yourself a favor and cook with Sofia.
- Craig M January 17, 2023
Sofia introduced us to ingredients unique to the Yucatan and showed us how to use them to create a delicious meal - perfect for your next dinner party. Her class is not only a demonstration, but also features a hands-on component which includes learning how to chop vegetables and fruit, techniques for rolling up tortillas to make codzitas, creating tortillas from scratch to use for panuchos and so much more. My husband is a professional chef and he and I learned many new things.
- barbara January 08, 2023
My husband and I and his parents enjoyed a private cooking class with Sofía. We got to make several typical Yucatecan dishes (including relleno negro and handmade tortillas) and also learned a lot about Yucatán's history and Mayan culture as well as the story of Sofía's family. We had a lot of fun and the meal was amazing! Sofía is very patient and kind - a very generous host. I highly recommend this experience to anyone interested in food culture and connecting with locals.
- Andrea January 05, 2023
Sophia was absolutely amazing. We learned tons of cooking tricks that Sophia had learned from her grandmother. She also taught us all about Yucatecan culture, history, and foodways. And then we sat around her lovely courtyard table and enjoyed the delicious feast we had just created! What an amazing day!!!!
- Jonathan January 05, 2023
Spending time with Sofia, in her home, was a memory I will always cherish. She has such a warm soul, and she makes you feel like family. Her recipes were tasty, flavorful, and full of color.
- Samantha December 18, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed my cooking experience with Sofia. She does not mix participants, so I had the benefit of one-on-one instruction – great, even if it did show up my rather ham-handed efforts at making tortillas in comparison to hers! We made a total of five typical Yucatán dishes, pretty much from scratch. Not only is Sofia a great cook, but she makes a real effort in the presentation too – so getting to eat what we prepared (to be honest, mainly Sofia), was a visual and gastronomic treat! Be aware however, that good food takes time to prepare – so having started at 5 pm, we didn’t start to eat until a little after 10.
- Oliver November 05, 2022
My mom and I had the most amazing time cooking with Sofia in her beautiful home. Exceeded all of our expectations. We could’ve spent all night talking to Sofia about her life and the culture and gastronomy of Mérida. Our lesson was extremely thorough and we have never before had a meal cooked with so much love and passion. Cooking with Sofia has been the highlight of my trip and everyone MUST do this when traveling to the Yucatán.
- annam October 11, 2022
Sophia gave us a good, clear, and well-organized lesson. We simultaneously prepared a set of dishes and always knew where we were and what we were doing. As another reviewer said, Sophia was passionate about food. We would add that she was passionate about people, engaging on a personal level rather than simply showing us how to do what.
- James September 09, 2022
Very friendly host who took the time to cook for us with top tips! Pleasant to be at home, very organized. It was perfect and excellent
- Amelie March 30, 2022
We enjoyed in Sofia's dedication, new flavours, completly new ingredients, cultural insights. It was the best time in Jucatan. Every moment was fulfilling and joyful.
- Vinja_K February 15, 2022
This was such an amazing opportunity. So thankful Sophia shared her culture and recipes. The food was authentic and delicious. Learned lots of tips and tricks too.
- Nadja January 17, 2022
This was a wonderful experience! Sophia invites you into her kitchen and shares her Mayan knowledge and her grandmother's recipes, passed down through many generations. We had a wonderful time and know so much more about the Mayans
- Nadine January 11, 2022
Wonderful day with Sophia ! Best Yucatán food experience we had. We went to the local market and learnt a lot of stuff about Mexican food Then, we cooked and made different meals Finally we shared a very good lunch This is not just a cooking class, but also a amazing day with Sophia. Don’t hesitate !
- Cecev90 December 30, 2021
On our last evening in Merida we cooked with Sofia. When we arrived we were offered a horchata. Sofia had discussed the dishes with us in advance and we had the opportunity to change the dishes that should be cooked. This gave us the opportunity to cook dishes that we had not yet tried during our stay in Yucatan. The dishes that we prepared together with her tasted very good. Only bottled water was used for cooking. So you don't have to worry. Sofia works very precisely and precisely. The boards used and the knives were washed several times so that each dish tastes as it should taste. We had a lot of fun cooking with Sofia and we recommend it to everyone who wants to try something new.
- Lenakau December 07, 2021
I enjoyed my experience very much. Sofia was full of knowledge in regards to the Mayan culture and of Mérida history. It was very hands on and she explains everything very well. Explains the difference in the foods found in the Yucatan. What we prepared was delicious. I especially loved the sopa de lima and the dessert caballeros pobres. One of my favorite experiences here. Thank you Sofia for your hospitality.
- Juan S November 29, 2021
Sofía is a great host and she loves sharing her grandmother's recipes with people. During the cooking process she makes sure that alternatives are given so much that the recipes, which will be shared via the email after class can be re-cooked in when we you're back at home. And, for me the best, there are a lot of opportunities to try the foods while prepping it. Definitely a great experience.
- Veronika November 25, 2021
Anyone interested in Yucatecan cuisine should have the experience of cooking with Sofia. We thoroughly enjoyed our time learning about the regional food, drinks, customs and eating some delicious dishes. Sofia was a great host - very welcoming, patient and knowledgeable. The time went by so quickly as we were having such a good time. The food we cooked was amazing and everything was delicious. Even my husband who can be a picky eater loved it all. Can't wait to try the recipes at home, especially that tomato sauce! Wow...highly recommend.
- Michie November 05, 2021
Best experience in Merida!! Sophia was super nice and welcoming, she took the time to explain everything and we were able to ask as many questions as we wanted to. Aaaand the food was AMAZING! A must do!
- y3972 October 24, 2021
We had a wonderful cooking expierence with Sofia. After a visit at the local market wie learned everthing qbout our dishes we cooked and how to prepqir it. At the end we had a late lunch with her at her porch. We could ask her all the question about mexico we want to know and got extra tips how to substitute some special ingrediences at home.
- A2657S September 23, 2021
It was fun and food was very delicious. Sofia is very friendly and moves efficiently. I learnt a lot about cooking in general not only about Yucatan dishes. She told me that she is not a chef and changed some ways of cooking traditional Yucatan dishes. Because traditional ways could take a few days sometimes... But I enjoyed her way of cooking and appreciate that she invented faster ways to cook. I found it's very practical, so I can make those dishes when I go back home. The whole cooking took us 3 hrs but she offered cold beer in between so it was fun! She also told me that I'm her first student in 1 year and 8 months because she had to close the business due to COVID. I could tell she was very excited to teach and that made me feel special. After we are done cooking, we had dinner together. She showed me how to serve in certain ways along with some more cooking tips. I highly recommend taking this cooking class with Sofia if you ever come visit Merida. She also offer home stay with meals included!
- Tong_G September 04, 2021
I was very impressed by Sofia’s knowledge of Yucatan cuisine. I have been a long lover of Mexican food but was not familiar particularly with the cuisine of the Yucatán peninsula. Private cooking lesson with Sofia. I asked Sofia if we could make tamales and although she informed me it wasn’t often travellers requested this, she managed to fulfil my request. I didn’t realise how long tamales took to make (we took 5 hours + eating time!) so I am very appreciative of Sofia’s persistence for this. It was just us two as I was a solo traveller. We also make guacamole, several salsas, not one but 3 types of tamales + dessert. I was very full after the experience and it was a pleasure meeting Sofia and dining with her house guests.
- Nathanality March 12, 2020
The six of us spent the day with Sophia and experienced authentic Yucatecan cooking, from shopping in the beautiful local Mexican market to preparing 7 wonderful dishes in her home. Sophia is a joy, English is good and she prepares recipes passed down from generations. We all left with a new appreciation of Yucatecan tradition, some family history and printed recipes. Gracias Sophia.
- Odyssey787305 January 14, 2020
We spent a day with Sofia, cooking traditional Yucatan recipes and had a fantastic experience. She is very knowledgable and incredibly chatty, a lot of fun and made us (two twenty something year old girls) feel very welcome - even when our chopping was sub par! We left with a recipe book and incredibly full stomachs (though don’t go hungry, it’s five hours of prep to get through!) Would recommend to anyone in Merida, as it’s a lovely day out.
- charlottew514 November 26, 2019
Pasé un día extraordinario en esta clase de cocina.Sofia fue increible durante todo el Día. Comparte su amor por la cocina Yucateca y por su región.La visita del Mercado fue fenomenal. Me mostraba cada ingrediente y me explicaba los origenes de cada uno, y como se cocinaba. Me llevó a todos los sitios, frutas y hortalizas, especies, carne, pescado, artesania, etc. Fue muy interesante la visita y ayuda mucho en saber lo que vas a cocinar.Luego cocinamos casi 4 horas. Varias entrantes muy tipicas y deliciosas, y pollo pibil con arroz y platano frito. Sofia explica muy bien cada etapa, y otra vez, comparte toda su pasión por la cocina.Recomiendo 300% una clase con Sofia en Merida. Merece mucho la Pena.
- aureliegonzalo October 05, 2019
We (family with 2 children - age 10 and 12) had a superb day with Daniel and Julieta: the visit to the market and the cooking and eating in the lovely house of Julieta. Learned a lot about the Yucatan cuisine and the food was delicious. I would really recommend this tour to anyone who likes to do something different then the 'usual tourist activities'. Especially for families with children/teens I can recommend it. Our girls really enjoyed it: they learned a lot about fruits, herbs and veggies at the market and now they know how to make a perfect guacemole and banana empanadas!! Thanks again Daniel and Julieta!!
- HannekeJanssen May 06, 2019
To say that Sophia Casellas goes the extra mile does not describe our amazing day with her! We had suggested a few Yucatacan recipes that we would like to make and Sophia made them all. Sophia picked us up at our hotel and we headed to Luis Galvez market, the largest market in Merida, where we spent a full morning enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the market. At the market Sophia carefully selected every fruit and vegetable that was to go into our meal. She described what each item was and what was in season at the time of our visit. The market was pretty overwhelming but Sophia knew which vendors had the best fruits, vegetables and spices.After shopping, Sophia drove us to her home where we began preparing our feast. We made: guacamole, sikil pak (a dip with tomatoes and ground pumpkin seeds), empanadas de chaya, tortitas de chaya, ceviche (this she had prepared the night before), salsa de tomate (tomato sauce), chile kut (a sauce made with roasted habaneros, lemon and garlic), pollo pibil (chicken in annatto or achiote, sauce), rice, fried plantains, picked onions, and for dessert, mousse de mamey (a fruit indigenous to the Yucatan). After an afternoon of cooking, we moved to a beautifully set table on her patio where we enjoyed an amazing meal. Sophia is, to put it mildly, amazing! Not only is she an incredible cook, she explained the native fruits and vegetables and how they are used in Yucatanian cooking. At the end of the evening, she presented us with all of the recipes we had prepared and what we could substitute for the Yucatan items. If you have an opportunity to take one of her classes, jump at the chance. You will not be disappointed!
- Trudy B March 17, 2019
Our instructor Sofia picked us up at our hotel in Merida and took us to the big market here. It was very interesting seeing so many new fruits and veggies we don't have in the USA! Afterwards we cooked up several dishes at her house. Sofia is extremely knowledgeable on Yucatecan cuisine. She had so many great tips. Afterwards we all sat down at a lovely table she had prepared and dined on what we had prepared. Superb! Such a treat. Sofia is delightful and warm. Great experience!!
- TravelingWieners March 17, 2019
We booked this cooking class end of October 2018 and we're glad we did - we received an authentic experience in a Yucatecan kitchen. We started around 11 AM with some local snacks Sofia had prepared for us (guava paste with cheese, jicama, dulce de papaya madura) and a local beer. We then proceeded to cook the 12-item menu Sofia had planned for us. We got some very helpful insider tips for tackling Yucatecan cuisine. We finished with a delicious, well-deserved meal in her backyard topped off by coffee and Xtabentun (Honey meets Pastis/Sambuca). Overall, the class was about 4-5h, including the meal at the end. Time flew by in Sofia's company.Thanks for a great experience Sofia!P.s. sorry for the delay in writing a review :)
- thisjustine123 January 06, 2019
We booked this cooking class for November 2018. We took a Taxi to get to Sofias place and started the cooking class. She explained us every detail about the ingredients and the story behind. We learned sooo much about the culture and it was a lot of fun. She explained us what we have to do and after 4hours we could finally eat and it was so delicious and healthy. It felt like Sofia was a friend we knew since long time. If you want to learn how to cook yucatecan food, and learn a lot about the mayan traditions than try this class! It takes up to 4hours since you do everything from scratch, so be patient. Would totally recommend <3 Gracias Sofia y hasta pronto! Tus amigas Suizas
- lebana_martinez November 15, 2018
I had an great day with Sofia: right from the start she was helpful and gracious. She quickly adjusted her plans when my partner got sick and cancelled early in the day. Sofia very kindly drove her back to the place where we were staying and carried on with just me. We visited both the large downtown market and the smaller local market, and she explained many of the ingredients, encouraging me to try new fruits and taste spice pastes. She was very knowledgeable about the cuisine and her english communication skills were very good. She made sure that all her ingredients were safe for my food allergy and carefully washed all fresh ingredients in purified water. She also went to great effort so that I could learn about as many Yucatecan dishes as possible. We made papadzules (so delicious), salsas, pollo pibil, drinks and several botanas. The full day program (market plus cooking and dining) took 6 hours and it was an interesting but tiring day. If you have less time you can request a visit to the very small local market: all the ingredients are there but it is much less hassle than getting to the the large market and back. Or you could skip the market and do just the cooking and dining. This is not a professional cooking school experience; it is an experience of cooking with a local person in her home. You should be prepared to work in a very warm kitchen and do significant food prep while learning about the ingredients. The neighbourhood was a quiet residential area of tidy family homes. It was nice to meet Sofia's family members; for me it was interesting to learn about their lives and share a meal with them. Two small recommendations that I would make to improve the experience: although juice drinks were offered throughout it would be good to offer guests some food early on (I was hungry by the time we ate at 3pm). And I would recommend that the host handout the recipes to guests on arrival. I look forward to receiving the recipes by email soon and to making some of these dishes for friends. This was an extremely valuable hands-on experience that I would recommend to anyone with an open mind and heart who wants to learn about authentic Yucatecan home cooking.
- 2due April 12, 2018
What can I say, we've done a few cooking experiences over the years and thoroughly enjoyed them and this was not what we expected or enjoyed. I'm surprised by all the great reviews, because what we experienced was really not fun OR enjoyable. We arrived at the home in an area that seemed a little sketchy compared with the area (downtown) where we were staying. We were greeted at the door by a woman who spoke no English and had on a very stained tshirt. We didn't know if this was Sofia or not. It wasn't she was the maid. Sofia appeared in a few minutes and was dressed very nicely. The home was tiny and the kitchen where we did the prep work was a 2 person kitchen and there were 3 of us plus Sofia. We sat at a table 3 feet from the stove. Sofia's English is quite basic, but one of our group spoke Spanish so it helped. We spent the next 4 1/2 hrs. mostly chopping vegetables. Something we didn't need to learn. We weren't offered ANYTHING to eat during the 4 1/2 hrs. We snuck tastes when Sofia wasn't looking. We also had to ask for water at the beginning. The only other drink offered during this time was some Tamarind water. Other cooking classes we'd been to offered drinks and snacks throughout. Remember we came hungry expecting to eat. Sofia wasn't very organized always trying to find things to use. It would have been a 2 hour experience if she had pre-chopped everything and was organized. The kitchen was unbearably hot. With 5 burners going and no a/c we were all sweating including Sofia. During this 4 1/2 hr sweat shop, her sister stopped in twice, her niece stopped in, and her mother stopped in. She took time to talk with all of them which was surprising and annoying. Finally at 9:30 (we started at 5pm to prepare the food) we went to the patio to eat the food we'd prepared. It was nicely set and she had her niece join us. The niece was nice and spoke perfect English, but it seemed inappropriate to have other guests during our paid experience. We also had to share 1 quart of beer between the 5 of us. No margaritas, no wine, etc. The food was just ok. Some of the experience was interesting with a few ingredients we weren't familiar with, but mostly we all felt like we'd worked in a sweat shop. Finally, the worst part was that at the end, Sofia was relentless on pushing us to write good reviews on Travelingspoon and Viator. I'm giving her her wish, sort of. I do think Sofia could be a good teacher, but a few things need to happen. She needs to improve her English, she needs a different house with a larger kitchen and A/C. She needs to understand that she could have things pre-chopped and everything organized and ready to go. Also, eating and drinking while we learned would have been appreciated and expected. This was a bust and something I would not recommend, at least until it's totally revised.
- Curt T April 04, 2018
From the minute you arrive in Sophia‘s home you’ll be culturally immersed. Her menu was all inclusive-12 items in total. The class covered everything from how to peel a sour orange, slice an onion, how to blacken red peppers stove top, grind spices, and tips on banana leaf handling. Plan to roll up your sleeves, work hard and eat well! It got warm in the kitchen so dress for it. I brought my own Mexican wine. She had one beer for my husband. Not an issue. We were busy eating! One of the highlights of our trip to the Yucatán!
- MJFIRE1 February 19, 2018
Our family had a great experience with Sofia and were very happy with the many dishes she taught us to prepare and the effort she made to properly introduce us to the ingredients and educate us about them. She provided interesting information about the influences Spaniards/Europeans had on traditional Mayan recipes. Since our group had one person with dietary restrictions, Sofia went out of her way to customize the menu to accommodate everyone and get very fresh ingredients, which was greatly appreciated. The food was delicious and our family will surely use the recipes she provided in the future. Since we were a larger group, the cooking portion of the activity took a bit over 4 hours. At the risk of stating the obvious, the kitchen got very warm with all the cooking going on, so I recommend dressing for hot weather! Overall, a highly recommended experience.
- 303alannam December 26, 2017
Sofia was me engaging host with a long connection to the area. We started with some local seasonal fruit before cooking amazing food over a period of 3-4 hours. All food was made fresh and prepared while we were there. Sofia was also able to conduct the class in English which was great.All things told a great experience. Note: there is a $7 USD alcoholic beverage option which we paid for. This turned out to be 1 large bottle of beer between both of us and was a disappointing element of the package.
- Mark-beauie December 04, 2017
Sofia is a local gem :) Her family from her mother side has been in Merida since the 1500s ! Talk about somebody to learn a lot from. We did the market tour, cooking class, and meal at her wonderful casa. The experience was unforgettable and a fun way to spend a full day. If you're in a rush, just do the meal and have some of the best panuchos and sopa de lima of your life.
- Jon B November 11, 2017
Sofia was such a gracious hostess, a wonderful "chef," and a very effective teacher. Our experience was very relaxed and hands-on. We loved doing most of the cooking, guided by Sofia's expertise. She was lots of fun and the food turned out DELICIOUS!!
- Carol J October 06, 2017
Sofia was such a gracious hostess, a wonderful "chef", and a very effective teacher. Our experience was very relaxed and hand-on. We loved doing most of the cooking, guided by Sofia's expertise. She was lots of fun and the food turned out DELICIOUS!!!
- Carol Jones February 04, 2017
Cooking and dining with Sophia was a pleasure. She truly loves Yucatecan culture and is very knowledgeable about its history, traditions, and especially food! I especially enjoyed learning about the differences between Mayan and Yucatecan cuisine. Sophia also has a flare for plating, so a camera is a must!
- Heather March 10, 2016
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
$56 $48 $48
Cooking Experience + Meal
$72 $68 $68
Market Tour + Meal
$80 $72 $72
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$88 $84 $84
Alcohol
$8 per person
Transportation
$64 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
$56 $48 $48
Cooking Experience + Meal
$72 $68 $68
Market Tour + Meal
$80 $72 $72
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$88 $84 $84
Alcohol
$8 per person
Transportation
$64 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
2:00pm-4:00pm 7:30pm-9:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
11:00am-4:00pm 5:00pm-10:00pm
Market Tour+ Meal
9:00am-1:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
9:00am-6:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.