Traditional Cooking Classes
of Oaxaca
Market to Table Cooking Classes
Our cooking classes provide a fun, social, hands-on experience, beginning, as they should, with a trip to the neighborhood mercado to visit Nora’s favorite vendors. Based on our menu for the day, we will select locally grown vegetables, fruits, herbs and high quality meats, as well as small-batch artisanal cheeses and freshly ground nixtamalized corn masa for tortillas and tamales.
Back at Nora’s home kitchen in the charming Jalatlaco neighborhood, you will receive step-by-step guidance as you prepare each dish, and along the way, Nora will trace some of the Spanish, indigenous and other influences that have formed Oaxacan cuisine. And of course, when the work is done, you will sit down with your classmates at a finely set table and enjoy the multi-course meal you’ve prepared.
After that, we hope that you will take the recipes you make home with you, and use them to recreate the tastes of what Nora calls “alma de mi tierra”, “the soul of my land”, for yourself, your family, and your friends!
Nora Andrea Valencia is a native-born Oaxaqueña who has been teaching cooking classes and guiding visitors in Oaxaca for over twenty five years. As a young girl growing up in a multi-generational household, Nora eagerly absorbed the secrets of preparing traditional Oaxacan recipes from her grandmother in the family kitchen.
Passionate about her homeland, she believes that as people acquire an understanding of other cultures, their experiences in those places become deeper, and whether you are a novice or a pro, her cooking classes and tours offer an informative and memorable entry point to the Oaxacan cultural experience for all lovers of good food.
Nora’s family are natives of Oaxaca, descended from the indigenous Zapotecs of the Central Valleys, and the family has been in the hospitality business in one form or another ever since she can remember. As a young girl growing up in a multi-generational household, Nora learned to prepare traditional recipes with her grandmother in the family kitchen and enjoyed talking about her beloved Oaxaca with the international students who rented rooms in her parents’ home. She attended law school as a young woman, but ultimately came to realize that she derived much greater pleasure from sharing her culture with others through her cooking classes and her cultural tours.
Nora earned her federal tour guide accreditation at La Universidad del Mar (UMAR) where she concentrated her studies in the areas of Oaxacan foodways and textiles, her other great love. Nora is fluent in both Spanish and English, and her approach is based on the belief that understanding leads to more memorable experiences for those who join her.
The markets in the towns of Oaxaca’s Central Valleys are fantastic, overflowing with color and life. Although the markets are open daily, each town has a specific market day when people from the surrounding countryside stream into town to sell their goods and produce, and buy what they need from other vendors.
We offer personalized tours to the Wednesday market in Elta, the Thursday market in Zaachila, the Friday market in Ocotlan, and the Sunday market in Tlacolula, as well as the daily 20 de Noviembre and Benito Juárez markets in the city of Oaxaca itself.
Meet the beloved street food vendors of the Jalatlaco neighborhood to see how they use local ingredients and deepen your appreciation of the delicious flavors of these iconic dishes.

In between bites, enjoy walking through the picturesque streets of Jalatlaco while Nora, a certified federal guide, gives you insight into the history, culture and customs of Oaxaca.
2022
Tripadvisor Traveller's Choice
A wonderful cooking class and market tour. Nora is a first-class professional whether teaching cooking or leading a tour.
2015
Tripadvisor Excellence
Nora's cooking class is outstanding. Everything from the market visit to prep to cooking to mezcal tasting to eating is fantastic. Nora brings in-depth knowledge of Oaxacan products and cooking and history to a new level.
Oaxaca Bed&Breakfast Association
We stayed at Aldama 205 for an enchanted month. Its striking exterior is matched by the grace of the interior courtyard garden and roof garden where we watch the mountains and and wait for hummingbird visits.
Contact Us
Alma de mi Tierra Cooking classes and Tours
Within MX: 951-513-9211
USA: 940-600-4127
Toll Free: 877-234-4706
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