Meet
Martha
Martha learned to cook at an early age from her talented grandmother and has carried a deep knowledge of Mexican cuisine ever since, rooted in traditions that date back to the pre-Hispanic era. Her husband, Arturo, served as a diplomatic representative for Mexico in many parts of the world, giving them both a wealth of fascinating stories to share. They live in a neighborhood west of Mexico City, near Hipódromo de Las Américas.
During their 35 years abroad, living in 11 different countries, Martha took cooking courses everywhere they went, expanding her skills and learning new cuisines. At the same time, she proudly represented traditional Mexican food and culture whenever they welcomed guests into their home.
Hosting and entertaining comes naturally to Martha and Arturo, who love nothing more than sharing food, culture, and conversation with visitors.
“I love to receive people from all over the world and share my culture and culinary experience. I would like to show and teach our varied and splendid Mexican cuisine!”
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:
(1-6 guests)
The best way to experience authentic Mexican food is in a local home, and this unique dining experience in Mexico City with Martha and Arturo offers just that. Their beautiful home is filled with artifacts collected from around the world; every piece of furniture has a story, making for fascinating conversations over dinner.
Martha delights in cooking cherished family recipes and pays special attention to presentation, often matching fresh flowers, tablecloths, and napkins to her beautiful Mexican china. You’ll sit down at her artfully set table to enjoy a traditional Mexican meal that might include sopecitos de pollo (chicken sopes with beans), tlacoyos de frijoles (corn tortillas stuffed with beans and cheese), cochinita pibil (Yucatán-style slow-roasted pork), rajas poblanas con crema (roasted poblano peppers in cream sauce), frijoles charros (pinto beans stewed with onion, garlic, and bacon), or arroz rojo (red Mexican rice).
Your meal ends on a sweet note with classic Mexican desserts such as creamy flan, arroz con leche (rice pudding), or capirotada (bread pudding). This Mexico City dining experience with Martha and Arturo is the perfect way to savor authentic flavors while connecting with warm, welcoming hosts.
Cooking experience:
(1-6 guests)
Discover the flavors of traditional Mexican cuisine at Martha and Arturo's home in Mexico City. In this immersive Mexico City cooking class, Martha specializes in pre-Hispanic dishes, featuring unique ingredients like huazontle and rich, flavorful moles. Drawing inspiration from her Chihuahua roots and cherished family recipes, she brings authentic Mexican culinary traditions to life.
During this 1.5-hour hands-on cooking experience, you'll join Martha in her small, welcoming kitchen to prepare an appetizer and a main dish from scratch. While chopping peppers, peeling onions, and mixing ingredients, Martha shares her secret cooking tips, tricks, and fascinating stories behind each dish. After cooking, enjoy the meal you helped prepare at her artfully laid out dining table.
This authentic Mexican cooking class in Mexico City is perfect for food lovers, travelers, and anyone eager to explore traditional Mexican flavors in an intimate, home-based setting. Experience the warmth of Mexican hospitality while learning to cook like a local.
Market visit:
(1-6 guests)
Begin your experience by meeting Martha at her home, then drive 20-min in her car to the Legaria Market. Enjoy a guided tour of this local, lively market filled with fresh produce, meat, fish, and traditional Mexican ingredients.
As you stroll through the market with Martha, learn about the key ingredients used in Mexican cooking, hear insider tips from a local, and meet some of her favorite vendors. Pick up a few ingredients to use in your hands-on Mexico City cooking class before returning to Martha's home to prepare your dishes from scratch.
Notes:
Martha is happy to accommodate dietary restrictions and requests so please let her know your preferences when booking.
Languages spoken:
English, Spanish and Portuguese
Sample menu
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.
Martha and Arturo are fantastic hosts and conversationalists. They have lived all over the world, and can connect with people very easily. We had a great time cooking and enjoying margaritas together. I felt like an old, dear friend being welcomed into their home as we talked about our travels, plus what we loved about Mexico and its cuisine. All of the food was nice, great dishes - and a LOT of food :) Their home is like a living museum, with little treasures from their time around the world, each one with an interesting story. I genuinely feel like I made two new friends through this experience! I highly recommend it for fellow travelers who want to learn more about Mexican cuisine and culture, and are looking to connect with other worldly, like-minded people.
Jessica, Traveling Spoon Ambassador
Traveler reviews
Shopping in the market and cooking with Martha was one of the highlights on our spectacular trip to Mexico City. Martha was extremely considerate in putting together a delicious vegetarian meal that we could all cook together. She explained Mexican cooking techniques and flavors as we chopped vegetables and pressed tortillas. She and her husband, Arturo, welcomed us into their beautiful home and our 4 and a half hours together flew by. Our teen, a picky eater, declared that this was the best meal ever!
Thank you, Martha and Arturo!
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Drake
August 05, 2025
Cooking with Martha is a must do! From the communication beforehand to her knowledge during, it was so much fun and welcoming to cook in her beautiful home. She provides both pre-Hispanic and modern cuisine to satisfy a variety of taste profiles. I would suggest that you also get the alcohol option. The tequila and wine pairings were excellent. Please make your reservation with Martha and Betsy (her assistant) and try the well seasoned crickets!!
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Blanc
July 16, 2025
Mary's is so warm and inviting! The market visit was fun and informative. Cooking in Marta's lovely home was a fantastic experience, and the dishes we prepared were unique and delightful. Would absolutely recommend this class to folks looking to learn about traditional Mexican foods.
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Michelle
July 15, 2025
Martha was a fantastic host to learn from! My wife and I enjoyed our time with her and her
husband Arturo. They took us to the market and then back to their home/kitchen. We had so
much fun!
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April
May 05, 2025
It was beyond amazing. There are not enough words to describe the experience. The food was just delicious. We learned so much about ingredients, history, culture, tequila and so much more. We had the pleasure of meeting her husband who made us feel at home. Their sense of humor and warmth made us feel that we would be friends forever. We want them to visit us in NY to stay with us — this is how wonderful they made us feel. Her price is way less than what she gives you in return — lots of food, knowledge, tequila, wine and warmth. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to be back!
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Christos
April 21, 2025
Marta and Arturo treated us like family. I'm not exaggerating. We've hosted many friends and family visiting us overseas. Taking her cooking class felt like the mirror image. We would - will - recommend this adventure to anyone coming to Mexico City.
Marta welcomed us in her home in a quiet neighborhood outside the center of Mexico City. A pudgy, golden bundle of love named Layla greeted us at the entrance of her apartment. We'd seen hundreds of dogs and their owners during the week; it was only fitting another was there to welcome us. Marta and her husband took my family to the market, where she engaged sellers in friendly conversation and explained about unique flavors and preparations of pre-Hispanic cuisine.
Back at the apartment, Marta took my wife, daughter, and me through the history and art of pre-Hispanic cooking. She drafted my daughter into shredding Oaxaca cheese and preparing tortillas, while showing us some secrets to incredible food. She walked through the importance of the epazote herb, the versatility and unique flavor of huitlacotche (corn fungus, try it), and interactions of chili, oil, lard, avocados, and more. We gnawed on jicama and spiced broad beans while we cooked.
After preparing the meal, we sat down to eat together. A premade blue corn sope almost stole the show till the next dish arrived, our tortilla soup topped with chicharron and chapulines (crickets, again, try it!). Then came the quesadillas stuffed with a blend of Oaxaca cheese, huitlacotche, and onions. Finally - ok this was the real winner - she brought out a nutty flan dripping with caramel. Costarring with the flan was mamey, a native fruit halfway between a papaya and an avocado.
I can't say enough about this experience. Yes, the food was fantastic, but the company was better. Marta and Arturo really treated us like family, showing off family photos and talking about their careers spanning the globe.
Outside, the city observed Good Friday - a day when Christians recall the Last Supper and later crucifixion of Jesus. A small procession walked by as we returned from the market. Dedicated to mothers of the disappeared, it not only commemorating the holiday, but providing a somber reminder of Mexico's past and present. As we broke bread with Marta and Arturo, we thought of what made up Mexico's identity - through sacrifice, pain, joy, and optimism. As Americans breaking bread with a couple who had devotes their lives to their country, we thought of what kindness we owed them, ourselves, and each other.
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Mahleri
April 19, 2025
My two friends and I booked a wonderful experience with Martha in March. Martha and her family are warm and welcoming people. The market tour was nice, experiencing local culture, learning and tasting new foods, and meeting some of Martha’s friends. Martha is a wonderful cook and took great pride in her dishes. We had a splendid time and we recommend Martha’s cooking class to anyone.
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Smith
March 29, 2025
Martha and Arturo were fantastic hosts. My husband and I had a wonderful time chatting, learning about traditional pre-Hispanic cuisine, and getting to know CDMX. The food was stellar, our time in the market was fun and full of tasty samples, and we learned so much during our time. I can’t recommend this experience enough and already look forward to our next time in CDMX to visit Martha and Arturo again!
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ABAAMA
March 17, 2025
Martha! What a truly incredible host. My family (4 adults and a 6 year old) went for a lunch cooking experience. We are vegetarians and she accommodated us beautifully. She welcomed us into her lovely apartment (her dog was a sweet presence, esp for our daughter), served us hibiscus tea while she told us a bit about herself and her cooking, and then into the kitchen we went. We made flour tortillas, a delicious chili mushroom soup, rajas, guacamole, huitlacoche, and she had prepared a phenomenal flan (made in advance). Martha is outgoing, funny, super friendly and easy to talk to. She's lived all over the world and has incredible stories to tell. Her husband came into the kitchen and spent time with us and ate lunch with us, too. It truly felt like being in a friend's home for an amazing meal. She clearly loves having people in her home and it was the ultimate experience of hospitality. And to top it off, when I accidentally left my phone in the Uber we took when we left her home and the Uber driver returned it to her, she contacted me immediately and held the phone until I was able to come back and pick it up. I can't recommend the experience enough!
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Churros
March 31, 2024
I had an amazing experience! Martha and her family welcomed me into their home and hosted this cooking class with warmth. The pre-Hispanic food was delicious and the cooking instruction was very informative. I highly recommend this class for the culinary and cultural experience!
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Chad_A
January 25, 2024
Martha is an amazing hostess and teacher. She approaches cooking as an act of love and
the experience is infused with that. Learnef about the culinary history of mexico from
prehispankc times up to the present day with recipies that have evolved over time.
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Craig_J
December 01, 2023
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