This morning our private guide will pick us up to begin the day with a visit to one of Ecuador’s local chocolate producers. We can enjoy a hands-on activity where we learn about the origin of chocolate in Ecuador, the cocoa fruit itself and the chocolate making process. We roll up our sleeves and get peeling roasted cocoa beans before passing them through the hand operated grinder. After all our hard work we get to sample the delicious final product.

Mid-morning we make our way to meet today’s Chef in his nearby family-run restaurant, where we are going to enjoy an authentic and interactive cooking class, learning how to prepare some typical Ecuadorian dishes. We can cool off and use the bathrooms, then accompanied by our guide and Chef, we first head to the local market which is reached after a 10 minute walk.

At the Central Market we visit a number of the Chef’s favorite stalls and suppliers, and learn about the products and culinary traditions of Ecuador. Together we select the ingredients for the cooking class. We can take pictures, taste some endemic fruits and also make our own purchases if desired.

On return to the restaurant, our cooking class begins. First things first, we don our chef's hat and apron and talk through the 3 Ecuadorian dishes we will cook. They are simple and typical Ecuadorian recipes: a Locro Quiteño (potato and avocado soup), an Encocado (main dish served with coconut sauce) and a Chocolate Soup.

These foods have been chosen specifically because the ingredients used can be found worldwide, so we will have the chance to cook these recipes for family and friends on our return home. Written recipes will be emailed to us at the end of the day.

The class is very-much an interactive experience - we chop, peel, cut, season, beat, stir and mix the ingredients, all under the expert guidance of Chef, who shares with us details about the history of each dish and its origin as we work.

After elaborating the 3 courses, we are invited to take a seat at the lunch table and savour the meal we have prepared with the Chef’s guidance in the pretty central patio of the restaurant.

Note: The cooking class is accessible to all; blunt knives can be provided for small children. The estimated duration of this activity is 3 hours.

Walking from the restaurant into the historical center of Quito we end the day at a classic ice cream parlour, where we learn how to prepare the handmade “helados de paila”. Strong arm muscles and a good spinning technique will result in a tasty fruit and water-based ice cream treat for all.