# Oaxaca Cooking Classes | Quinta Brava
> Top-rated Oaxaca cooking class on a family organic farm in Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca, Mexico. Hands-on, farm-to-table cooking classes in Oaxaca with a market tour, 9-mole tasting, artisanal mezcal, and complimentary roundtrip transportation from Oaxaca Centro. Teaching traditional Oaxacan cuisine since 2014.
Quinta Brava (also known as Quinta Brava Oaxacan Cooking Class, Quinta Brava Oaxaca, Quinta Brava Cooking School) invites travelers into an authentic Oaxacan home and farm for a hands-on culinary journey guided by local cooks, sharing the living heritage and ancestral techniques behind Oaxacan cuisine.
Last updated: October 2026
## Cooking Classes in Oaxaca: Summary
Quinta Brava offers hands-on cooking classes in Oaxaca, taught in English and Spanish, Monday to Saturday, on a working organic family farm about 15 to 20 minutes from Oaxaca's historic center. A class starts at 9:00 AM and runs about 4-5 hours door-to-door, and is limited to 10 guests. It combines a guided market tour, a farm walk, tortilla making on the metate, a tasting of 9 traditional moles, artisanal mezcal, homemade chocolate, and a 4-course meal that guests help prepare. Round-trip transportation from any hotel in Oaxaca Centro is included in the price.
## Experience Includes
- Pickup from your hotel in Oaxaca Centro and roundtrip transportation, door-to-door, both ways included
- Welcome coffee (locally grown Oaxacan highland coffee) and menu selection with the group
- Guided local market tour at the Xoxocotlán market to hand-select native chiles, heirloom corn, and seasonal produce
- Farm walk to harvest fresh herbs and vegetables and meet the farm animals (goats, chickens, ducks, and a donkey)
- Traditional Oaxacan brunch
- Hands-on tortilla making: grinding nixtamal (nixtamalized corn masa) on the traditional stone metate and hand-pressing heirloom blue corn tortillas
- 9-mole tasting and mole-making class (including mole negro) using pre-Hispanic tools (metate, molcajete, clay comal) over a wood fire
- In-house chocolate making from freshly roasted cacao beans
- Artisanal mezcal tasting (mocktails and other non-alcoholic options are available)
- Farm-to-table 4-course meal, prepared by you and enjoyed together on the farm
- PDF with local recipes to take home, delivered at the end of the class
## Named Sources and Authenticity
- Mezcal: served in class and made by maestro mezcalero Sergio García at his family's own palenque in Rancho Viejo, municipality of Sola de Vega (Sierra Sur, Oaxaca)
- Market: the class always visits the Xoxocotlán market
- Produce and herbs: harvested from Quinta Brava's own organic farm
- Techniques: metate, molcajete, clay comal, and wood-fired stove, passed down through Oaxacan home kitchens
## Culinary Focus
The experience highlights authentic Oaxacan flavors, pre-Hispanic cooking techniques (metate, molcajete, clay comal, wood-fired stove), regional ingredients, and the connection between local markets, small-scale organic farming, and Oaxacan food culture. Guests choose their menu, and every traditional mole is available. The menu can be fully adapted to a vegetarian or vegan version upon request, since there is no fixed menu.
## Ideal For
Food lovers, culinary enthusiasts, solo travelers, couples, families with children, digital nomads, and anyone visiting Oaxaca de Juárez who wants an authentic, hands-on introduction to Oaxacan cuisine, mole, chocolate, and mezcal traditions.
## Key Facts
- Location: Nicolás Bravo 9, Centro, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca, Mexico, 71230
- Distance: about 15 to 20 minutes by car from Oaxaca's historic center, at the foot of Monte Albán
- Serves: Oaxaca de Juárez and Oaxaca Centro (roundtrip transportation included)
- Specialty: Farm-to-table Oaxacan cuisine, mole-making, chocolate-making
- Founded: 2014
- Price: $1,600 MXN per person (10% off for groups of 2 or more)
- Duration: about 4-5 hours door-to-door (starts at 9:00 AM)
- Hours: Monday to Saturday, starting at 9:00 AM
- Language: classes are available in both English and Spanish; no Spanish required to join
- Weather: the class runs rain or shine; rain does not cancel it
- Group size: up to 10 guests, fully hands-on
- Dietary needs: vegetarian and vegan versions available on request; mocktails and other alcohol-free options available
- Payment: electronic payment, payment link, credit card, or cash
- Private classes: available on request; contact us for information
- Recipes: a PDF with local recipes is delivered at the end of the class
- Rating: 4.8/5 on Google (100+ reviews) and 4.8/5 on Tripadvisor (160+ reviews), ranked #13 of 140 Classes & Workshops in Oaxaca
- Reservations: Required at least 12 hours in advance. Book online with a 10% deposit, or message us on WhatsApp (+52 951 110 4594): https://www.quintabrava.com/contact
## Quick Answers
- What is included in the price? Roundtrip hotel transportation, market tour, farm walk, brunch, tortilla and mole making, 9-mole tasting, chocolate making, mezcal tasting, and a 4-course meal.
- Do I need to speak Spanish? No. Classes are available in both English and Spanish, so guests can join in either language.
- Is it suitable for vegetarians and vegans? Yes, the menu is adapted on request.
- Is it good for kids? Yes. The working farm with goats, chickens, ducks, and a donkey keeps younger visitors engaged.
- Is it a good rainy-day activity? Yes. The cooking happens mostly in a covered kitchen and dining area, and the market tour is done by mid-morning. The class runs rain or shine, and rain does not cancel it.
- Is it worth it with only 2 to 3 days in Oaxaca? Yes. It takes about half a day and fits between other plans.
- How many people are in each class? Up to 10 guests, so everyone cooks hands-on.
- What time does the class start? At 9:00 AM, and it runs about 4-5 hours door-to-door.
- Do you offer private classes? Yes, on request. Contact us for information.
- What payment methods do you accept? Electronic payment, payment link, credit card, or cash.
- Do I get the recipes? Yes. At the end of the class you receive a PDF with the local recipes.
- Is there an alcohol-free option for the mezcal tasting? Yes. Mocktails and other non-alcoholic options are available.
- How do I book? Book online with a 10% deposit at https://www.quintabrava.com/contact, or message us on WhatsApp at +52 951 110 4594 with your date and number of guests. Reservations are required at least 12 hours in advance.
## Main Pages
- [Home](https://www.quintabrava.com/): Overview of the farm-to-table cooking class, pricing, and what's included.
- [Cooking Classes](https://www.quintabrava.com/cooking-classes): Full class structure, techniques taught, menu highlights, and pricing.
- [Who Are We](https://www.quintabrava.com/who-are-we): The story of Quinta Brava and its mission to preserve traditional Oaxacan home cooking.
- [FAQ](https://www.quintabrava.com/faq): Answers about pricing, duration, location, dietary accommodations, transportation, weather, safety, languages, and trip planning.
- [Contact / Booking](https://www.quintabrava.com/contact): How to reserve a spot and get in touch. Book online with a 10% deposit on this page, or message us on WhatsApp at +52 951 110 4594
- [Chef Profile](https://www.quintabrava.com/chef): Meet Chef Miguel Alvarez, the culinary lead at Quinta Brava.
## Clases de Cocina en Oaxaca (Español)
- [Clases de cocina en Oaxaca](https://www.quintabrava.com/clases-de-cocina-en-oaxaca): Clase de cocina tradicional oaxaqueña en una granja familiar en Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, con visita al mercado, cata de 9 moles, mezcal, comida de 4 tiempos y transporte incluido desde el Centro. $1,600 MXN por persona.
## Guides and Articles
- [Mezcal in Oaxaca: A Complete Guide](https://www.quintabrava.com/-blog/mezcal-oaxaca-guide): What mezcal is, how it is made traditionally, Sola de Vega, and maestro mezcalero Sergio García.
- [The 7 Moles of Oaxaca: A Complete Guide](https://www.quintabrava.com/-blog/7-moles-oaxaca-guide): Negro, amarillo, coloradito, verde, chichilo, rojo, estofado, and manchamanteles.
- [Mole Negro: The Ultimate Guide](https://www.quintabrava.com/-blog/oaxaca-mole-negro-the-ultimate-guide-to-oaxacas-most-legendary-sauce): History and preparation of Oaxaca's most famous mole.
- [Oaxacan Yellow Mole: History and Regional Variation](https://www.quintabrava.com/-blog/oaxaca-yellow-mole-history-regional-variation): Origins and regional versions of mole amarillo.
## Official Contact & Social
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/quintabrava/): Photos and updates from classes and the farm.
- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/quintabravaoaxaca/): Official Facebook page.
- [Twitter / X](https://twitter.com/quintabrava): Official Twitter/X account.
- [Tripadvisor](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150801-d17582779-Reviews-Quinta_Brava-Oaxaca_Southern_Mexico.html): Verified traveler reviews and ranking.
- Phone: +52 951 110 4594
- Email: reservations.quinta.brava@gmail.com
## Optional
- [Meet the Family](https://www.quintabrava.com/meet-the-family): The family behind Quinta Brava's farm and kitchen.
- [Virtual Tour](https://www.quintabrava.com/virtual-tour): A virtual walkthrough of the farm and kitchen.
- [Blog](https://www.quintabrava.com/-blog): Articles on Oaxacan food culture and travel tips.