On our last visit to Mexico City, we wanted unique experiences. Having already seen the “must-see” attractions, it was time to dig into the culture. I’ve taken a few cooking classes and love both the food and the history behind each dish. When I searched for classes in Mexico City, one stood far above the rest: Casa Jacaranda, which had a perfect 5-star rating on Tripadvisor at the time. How could anything be that good that not even the pickiest traveller ranked it lower?
I read review after review and had to see for myself. As a small spoiler, I now understand. Casa Jacaranda is more than a cooking class. It’s a whole day of discovery, learning and new friends.
Classes run Tuesday through Saturday and start at 10 am. Co-owners Beto Estúa and Jorge Fitz, who have been hosting guests for ten years, will join you for the day, depending on class size and availability.
Classes are generally in English, with Spanish sessions available if you book in advance. Groups are normally six to eight people, which is small enough to feel close and big enough to cook a huge menu quickly. Private events can host up to 22.
Booking is per ticket:
It may sound pricey, but you get a full day of entertainment and indulgence. Trust me, it’s worth every peso. Casa Jacaranda now also offers an Evening Cooking Class ($205 USD flexible, $185 USD non-refundable) and Raíces, a chef’s table dinner ($275 USD with drinks, $226 USD without).
Our day began at Mercado Medellín in Roma Sur, recognizable by its red, green and yellow geometric exterior and murals. We met Beto under the market sign, along with two fellow Canadians and a mother-son duo from the US. Beto arrived with his shopping bags and an assistant, and we chose our menu as a group.
Beto explained that the market has stood for over 150 years, though its modern look comes from renovations after the earthquake. It began in the heart of an immigrant community, where Colombians, Cubans, Brazilians, Venezuelans and Jewish immigrants imported food from home to sell to locals and fellow newcomers. Jewish Mexicans ran the market until the 1985 earthquake, after which it passed to Cuban owners and earned the nickname “Little Havana.” Today it holds over 500 stalls. That could overwhelm a regular tourist, but Beto took us to his favourites, where every vendor greeted him by name.
Chilies are essential to Mexican cuisine and star in several of our recipes. Some have different names fresh and dried. We smelled over 15 varieties, learned where each is grown and used, and noticed how smoking changes a dried pepper’s aroma.
Beto’s favourite stand has been run by the same family for five generations. He explained how a single traditional Mexican garden bed can sustain a household, and which produce is native and which arrived early in colonization. We also met the tejocote, a golden fruit resembling a crabapple and one of the oldest ingredients in piñatas.
Just before the lunch rush, we tried tlacoyos at the back of the market: blue corn dough filled with beans, fried on the grill, and topped with Oaxaca or cotija cheese, nopales, salsa and chicharrón. We also tried the breakfast version, filled with fried potatoes and chorizo. Fantastic.
On the way to Casa Jacaranda, we passed Beto’s favourite tortilla makers, Molino y Tortillería Golilas de Amor. A kind man handed us hot, fresh tortillas to sprinkle with salt and salsa and roll up so every bite gets both. Corn was domesticated in Mexico around 10,000 BC, and tortillas have been a staple ever since. Local workers still pick up tortillas, salsa, rice and beans for lunch, just like thousands of years ago.
Casa Jacaranda’s goings-on are more spectacular than ever. The experience has moved into the new, bohemian heart of Mexico City’s Juárez quarter, and the classes now have even more guest participation. It all happens in a nineteenth-century palace that is a real sight to see, at Calle Milán 41.
Colonia Juárez is just west of the historic centre. It preserves some of the best examples of Porfiriato-era architecture in Mexico City, and by the early twentieth century it had become one of the city’s wealthiest neighbourhoods, filled with enormous French-style mansions. The city officially named it Colonia Juárez in 1906, on the anniversary of Benito Juárez’s birth. That European influence still shows in the street names. Calle Milán, where Casa Jacaranda now sits, is one of many streets named after a European city.
Fire and time have taken their toll. Many of those mansions were lost to fires during the Mexican Revolution, and others were later converted into businesses. A building like Casa Jacaranda’s new home is a rare survivor of that era, so the setting is as much a part of the experience as the food.
You choose a main dish as a group, and every class makes a full menu: two appetizers, one entree and one dessert. We chose mole for its rich history.
Beto laid out his method on the blackboard. It’s his own adaptation, so I won’t share it here, but every guest leaves with printed recipes, nearly a full recipe book.
Traditional mole has 28 ingredients. Beto uses 26, omitting bread (gluten) and peanuts to accommodate allergies. It’s adapted from a Puebla recipe and made with family love.
The ingredients were laid out before we arrived, since Beto’s assistant had bought them while we toured the market. Listening to Beto’s stories about each one was a highlight.
We made a spicy fresh green salsa and a smoky red one. The green was my favourite: only five ingredients but incredibly complex. We made the red in a molcajete, and Beto showed us three of his, one each from himself, his mother and his grandmother. The older ones were smoother, like working with family history.
Tamales are sold from bikes and street corners every morning. They’re hearty, cheap and safe to eat because they’re steamed. The dish dates back to Mesoamerica around 5000 BC: corn masa filled with meat, cheese or vegetables.
Despite meeting the tortilla maker, nothing beats fresh tortillas off the grill. Learning when to flip and how to make them puff was busy, laugh-filled and had us all grinning.
Beto made us Palomas with tequila, a grapefruit slice and a pink peppercorn salted rim. We finally chatted properly with our fellow cooks over beef tacos and toasted a guest’s birthday. By the end, it felt like dinner with friends.
After everything was finished cooking we gathered for a “family dinner.” We ate evreything with Mexican wine and fresh hibiscus juice, so quickly that I forgot to photograph my plate. The mole came with shredded chicken and garlic rice. Toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced onions on top make a huge difference. Mole isn’t always my favourite because it’s often too sweet, but this one was perfectly balanced: not too sweet, not too bitter, and full of flavour.
We ended with a tequila and mezcal flight, including varieties you can’t find in stores, and a sobremesa, the Spanish tradition of lingering at the table. We swapped favourite spots and I noted restaurants for next time.
If you’re on the fence about booking, don’t hesitate. It’s a day out with friends, a history lecture, a delicious home-cooked meal and a study of Mexican food, plus a skill to bring home.
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