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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Anilu and Diego

Urubamba, Peru

USD
$110-$140 per person

Gourmet Peruvian cooking class in the Sacred Valley

Host offerings
  • Rural farmhouse
  • Professional cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Anilu and Diego

Anilu and her husband Diego run a restaurant and B&B located in Urubamba, Peru’s Sacred Valley. Their home is an hour and a half drive outside Cusco through a beautiful, rugged mountain landscape. Diego is a professional chef and worked in restaurants in Lima. Anilu is not a chef, but she loves to eat and in her previous professional life she was a food engineer. They moved to Urubama for a slower pace of life and the chance to raise their young twins in the countryside. Their B&B has a warm, relaxed feel and is decorated with artisan furniture and curios made by local artisans. Diego cooks traditional Peruvian dishes with gourmet quality, so be prepared to eat well at their home!

Anilu says, “We believe the best way to travel is to get to know a place through it’s people!”

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.

Cooking experience: (1-20 guests) Join Diego in their outdoor kitchen where he will show you how to make classic Peruvian dishes like ceviche (fresh fish cured in citrus juice), lomo saltado (marinated beef sirloin, sautéed with onions, peppers and fried potatoes), tacu tacu (rice and roasted beans) and papa la huancaína (potatoes with a spicy, savory sauce) or causa rellena (potato puree garnished with yellow aji sauces and lemon, stuffed with onion, avocado and tuna) or arroz chaufa (sautéed rice with green onions and sesame seeds, a chifa (Chinese-Peruvian) dish). During this cooking demonstration, learn how to properly cut the fish for ceviche and how to carefully balance the flavors while Diego teaches you some of his favorite cooking tricks. Diego can demonstrate how to cook the dishes, or you can have a hands-on lesson (please note your preference during booking). After your meal is prepared, sit down together to savor fresh, authentic Peruvian dishes while music plays in the background.

Market visit: (1-20 guests) When you arrive at Pakakuna, Anilu will greet you with a friendly welcome and explain the day’s activities. Then you will set off in a rickshaw to visit to the local market. As you walk through the market Anilu will introduce you to the regional products for sale. You’ll see fruits and vegetables as well as livestock like chickens, guinea pigs, ducks, sheep and alpacas.

Notes: Pakakuna is located a beautiful 1.5 hour drive from Cusco. Anilu can arrange roundtrip transportation from Cusco at an additional cost. Just book optional transportation when you make your reservation and be sure to tell Anilu where you are staying. Please note that while alcohol is not included in the cost of the experience, alcohol is available for purchase onsite at their bar where they have a variety of local beers and cocktails on offer.

Languages spoken: English, Spanish

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Ceviche
  • Lomo saltado
  • Tacu tacu
  • Papa la huancaína
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Diego and Anilu were amazing hosts. The space had a great vibe with artisan furniture and great design, and their home was welcoming with plenty of character. We got to hangout and learn about their culture, their backgrounds and why they decided to start Pakakuna. Seeing Ceviche being made and then eating it fresh was awesome, and the Lomo Saltado was mouthwatering.

Zubin, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (8)
My goodness, we got treated to some amazing experience with Anilou and Diego. We signed up for a market tour and cooking class and we ended up treated to the Peruvian food and when became friends as well. The market walk with Anilou, who speaks beautiful English was very informative, we learned a lot about locate fruits and vegetables and we ended up tasting everything we purchased during our dinner time as appetizers. After shopping a cool tuk-tuk ride took us to Diego and Anilou’s home, where they operate the restaurant named Pakakuña. Here we learned how to make fish and vegetarian ceviche. And then Diego shared with us his own creation, and the best vegetarian couscous meal, that I have ever had. The instructions are very clear and very descriptive of the ingredients needed. We truly experience a wonderful meal and company. I highly recommend it to anybody who has interest in cooking and enjoying original Peruvian food.
- arpadski May 23, 2023
When you travel you get to experience new things, but often you cannot bring that experience back home. However learning how to cook a native dish from people who know how to cook and teach allows you the ability to experience your trip again and again. We had a wonderful evening with Anilu and Diego. We learned how to make ceviche and aji de gallina, both of which will become part of our cooking repertoire. Infact, we have already made ceviche since returning home. All of the food was prepared safely, they were mindful to wash all of the fresh ingredients with filtered water, which I greatly appreciated. We were on a tour and scheduled this evening independently. We made our entire group jealous because our food was so much better than what was offered at the hotel restaurant! Please do yourself and your tastebuds a favor and book this experience!!
- tmdmkd March 17, 2023
When you travel you get to experience new things, but often you cannot bring that experience back home. However learning how to cook a native dish from people who know how to cook and teach allows you the ability to experience your trip again and again. We had a wonderful evening with Anilu and Diego. We learned how to make ceviche and aji de gallina, both of which will become part of our cooking repertoire. Infact, we have already made ceviche since returning home. All of the food was prepared safely, they were mindful to wash all of the fresh ingredients with filtered water, which I greatly appreciated. We were on a tour and scheduled this evening independently. We made our entire group jealous because our food was so much better than what was offered at the hotel restaurant! Please do yourself and your tastebuds a favor and book this experience!!
- tmdmkd March 17, 2023
Loved Everything About It. Diego and Anilu accepted our request to join the cooking experience at the last minute. We were very happy to be accommodated. The experience was exactly what we had hoped for! We toured their organic herb garden, learned how to make ceviche with river trout (amazing), and an Asian/Peruvian fusion dish using beef tenderloin and stir fry techniques. I also picked up a few new knife skills from Diego. We highly recommend this cooking experience as one of your dinner options while visiting the Sacred Valley.
- bishj5 March 11, 2020
Anilu and Diego were great hosts and instructors. Their restaurant is a super cool space. We took a tour of the gardens in the back where they grow much of the ingredients they use and then had our first tutorial for which we made ceviche. we had time to relax and eat before the second lesson which was lomo saltado. both tutorials were fun and informative. In addition to being specific to the dishes we went over knife skills that would carry to other recipes. I highly recommend booking with them.
- ekleigh November 06, 2018
We loved our cooking class at Paka Kuna! It was really more of a cooking demonstration with us helping out a bit, but that was perfect for us. Anilu and Diego are both so warm and welcoming that it felt like cooking with family. The food was delicious and the atmosphere relaxing. We highly recommend!
- TrekkerMom09 July 18, 2018
Our experience with Anilu and Diego was just incredible and truly a highlight of our time in Peru. Anilu met us at our hotel and took us on an amazing tour of the market where we got to try delicious produce and chocolate. It was a delight to be able to taste and learn about all the amazing indigenous ingredients and rich food culture or this region.At the restaurant, we truly learned invaluable cooking techniques and made the best meal we’ve had on our trip, maybe ever! We’re still talking about how delicious it was and what a beautiful restaurant Anilu and Diego put together. Don’t hesitate to book this experience! It’s simply incredible. Thank you again, Anilu and Diego, for a wonderful night.
- sandy007858 July 07, 2018
Anilu and Diago treated us to an informative and delicious experience in Urubamba, Peru. Anilu took us to the food market in town and showed us all the local fruits, vegetables and grains/legumes etc. We were able to smell and taste amazing ingredients we never see in Australia. Anilu’s knowledge of ingredients was so valuable to the experience. We then returned to their outdoor restaurant where experienced chef Diago demonstrated two Peruvian dishes; cerviche and lomo saltado. We were amazed by his skills and greatly valued the ‘chefs secrets’ shared with us. The food was beautifully presented, utterly delicious and very satisfying. Mucho gracias!
- 772bradleyj June 18, 2018
Read More
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Anilu and Diego

$110-$140 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • No waiting! Booking confirmed instantly
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $110 $110 $110
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $140 $140 $126
Transportation
 $88 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $110 $110 $110
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $140 $140 $126
Transportation
 $88 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-1:00pm 5:00pm-7:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:30am-1:30pm 4:30pm-8:30pm

Meet Anilu and Diego

Anilu and her husband Diego run a restaurant and B&B located in Urubamba, Peru’s Sacred Valley. Their home is an hour and a half drive outside Cusco through a beautiful, rugged mountain landscape. Diego is a professional chef and worked in restaurants in Lima. Anilu is not a chef, but she loves to eat and in her previous professional life she was a food engineer. They moved to Urubama for a slower pace of life and the chance to raise their young twins in the countryside. Their B&B has a warm, relaxed feel and is decorated with artisan furniture and curios made by local artisans. Diego cooks traditional Peruvian dishes with gourmet quality, so be prepared to eat well at their home!

Anilu says, “We believe the best way to travel is to get to know a place through it’s people!”

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.

Cooking experience: (1-20 guests) Join Diego in their outdoor kitchen where he will show you how to make classic Peruvian dishes like ceviche (fresh fish cured in citrus juice), lomo saltado (marinated beef sirloin, sautéed with onions, peppers and fried potatoes), tacu tacu (rice and roasted beans) and papa la huancaína (potatoes with a spicy, savory sauce) or causa rellena (potato puree garnished with yellow aji sauces and lemon, stuffed with onion, avocado and tuna) or arroz chaufa (sautéed rice with green onions and sesame seeds, a chifa (Chinese-Peruvian) dish). During this cooking demonstration, learn how to properly cut the fish for ceviche and how to carefully balance the flavors while Diego teaches you some of his favorite cooking tricks. Diego can demonstrate how to cook the dishes, or you can have a hands-on lesson (please note your preference during booking). After your meal is prepared, sit down together to savor fresh, authentic Peruvian dishes while music plays in the background.

Market visit: (1-20 guests) When you arrive at Pakakuna, Anilu will greet you with a friendly welcome and explain the day’s activities. Then you will set off in a rickshaw to visit to the local market. As you walk through the market Anilu will introduce you to the regional products for sale. You’ll see fruits and vegetables as well as livestock like chickens, guinea pigs, ducks, sheep and alpacas.

Notes: Pakakuna is located a beautiful 1.5 hour drive from Cusco. Anilu can arrange roundtrip transportation from Cusco at an additional cost. Just book optional transportation when you make your reservation and be sure to tell Anilu where you are staying. Please note that while alcohol is not included in the cost of the experience, alcohol is available for purchase onsite at their bar where they have a variety of local beers and cocktails on offer.

Languages spoken: English, Spanish

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Ceviche
  • Lomo saltado
  • Tacu tacu
  • Papa la huancaína
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Diego and Anilu were amazing hosts. The space had a great vibe with artisan furniture and great design, and their home was welcoming with plenty of character. We got to hangout and learn about their culture, their backgrounds and why they decided to start Pakakuna. Seeing Ceviche being made and then eating it fresh was awesome, and the Lomo Saltado was mouthwatering.

Zubin, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (8)
My goodness, we got treated to some amazing experience with Anilou and Diego. We signed up for a market tour and cooking class and we ended up treated to the Peruvian food and when became friends as well. The market walk with Anilou, who speaks beautiful English was very informative, we learned a lot about locate fruits and vegetables and we ended up tasting everything we purchased during our dinner time as appetizers. After shopping a cool tuk-tuk ride took us to Diego and Anilou’s home, where they operate the restaurant named Pakakuña. Here we learned how to make fish and vegetarian ceviche. And then Diego shared with us his own creation, and the best vegetarian couscous meal, that I have ever had. The instructions are very clear and very descriptive of the ingredients needed. We truly experience a wonderful meal and company. I highly recommend it to anybody who has interest in cooking and enjoying original Peruvian food.
- arpadski May 23, 2023
When you travel you get to experience new things, but often you cannot bring that experience back home. However learning how to cook a native dish from people who know how to cook and teach allows you the ability to experience your trip again and again. We had a wonderful evening with Anilu and Diego. We learned how to make ceviche and aji de gallina, both of which will become part of our cooking repertoire. Infact, we have already made ceviche since returning home. All of the food was prepared safely, they were mindful to wash all of the fresh ingredients with filtered water, which I greatly appreciated. We were on a tour and scheduled this evening independently. We made our entire group jealous because our food was so much better than what was offered at the hotel restaurant! Please do yourself and your tastebuds a favor and book this experience!!
- tmdmkd March 17, 2023
When you travel you get to experience new things, but often you cannot bring that experience back home. However learning how to cook a native dish from people who know how to cook and teach allows you the ability to experience your trip again and again. We had a wonderful evening with Anilu and Diego. We learned how to make ceviche and aji de gallina, both of which will become part of our cooking repertoire. Infact, we have already made ceviche since returning home. All of the food was prepared safely, they were mindful to wash all of the fresh ingredients with filtered water, which I greatly appreciated. We were on a tour and scheduled this evening independently. We made our entire group jealous because our food was so much better than what was offered at the hotel restaurant! Please do yourself and your tastebuds a favor and book this experience!!
- tmdmkd March 17, 2023
Loved Everything About It. Diego and Anilu accepted our request to join the cooking experience at the last minute. We were very happy to be accommodated. The experience was exactly what we had hoped for! We toured their organic herb garden, learned how to make ceviche with river trout (amazing), and an Asian/Peruvian fusion dish using beef tenderloin and stir fry techniques. I also picked up a few new knife skills from Diego. We highly recommend this cooking experience as one of your dinner options while visiting the Sacred Valley.
- bishj5 March 11, 2020
Anilu and Diego were great hosts and instructors. Their restaurant is a super cool space. We took a tour of the gardens in the back where they grow much of the ingredients they use and then had our first tutorial for which we made ceviche. we had time to relax and eat before the second lesson which was lomo saltado. both tutorials were fun and informative. In addition to being specific to the dishes we went over knife skills that would carry to other recipes. I highly recommend booking with them.
- ekleigh November 06, 2018
We loved our cooking class at Paka Kuna! It was really more of a cooking demonstration with us helping out a bit, but that was perfect for us. Anilu and Diego are both so warm and welcoming that it felt like cooking with family. The food was delicious and the atmosphere relaxing. We highly recommend!
- TrekkerMom09 July 18, 2018
Our experience with Anilu and Diego was just incredible and truly a highlight of our time in Peru. Anilu met us at our hotel and took us on an amazing tour of the market where we got to try delicious produce and chocolate. It was a delight to be able to taste and learn about all the amazing indigenous ingredients and rich food culture or this region.At the restaurant, we truly learned invaluable cooking techniques and made the best meal we’ve had on our trip, maybe ever! We’re still talking about how delicious it was and what a beautiful restaurant Anilu and Diego put together. Don’t hesitate to book this experience! It’s simply incredible. Thank you again, Anilu and Diego, for a wonderful night.
- sandy007858 July 07, 2018
Anilu and Diago treated us to an informative and delicious experience in Urubamba, Peru. Anilu took us to the food market in town and showed us all the local fruits, vegetables and grains/legumes etc. We were able to smell and taste amazing ingredients we never see in Australia. Anilu’s knowledge of ingredients was so valuable to the experience. We then returned to their outdoor restaurant where experienced chef Diago demonstrated two Peruvian dishes; cerviche and lomo saltado. We were amazed by his skills and greatly valued the ‘chefs secrets’ shared with us. The food was beautifully presented, utterly delicious and very satisfying. Mucho gracias!
- 772bradleyj June 18, 2018
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $110 $110 $110
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $140 $140 $126
Transportation
 $88 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $110 $110 $110
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $140 $140 $126
Transportation
 $88 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-1:00pm 5:00pm-7:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:30am-1:30pm 4:30pm-8:30pm
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

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