A Warm Welcome

On arrival, Claudia and her sister greeted us in their native language of Quichua with a warm welcome and a glass of traditional chicha de jora, a fermented drink made from corn. The chicha was served from a clay pot into pilches (recipients made from dried gourds) just as it has been for generations.

Dressing the Part

Before starting, we were given aprons and colorful Otavalan headscarves known as Uma Watarina —a fun way to feel immersed in the experience! Dressed and ready, we headed to the kitchen garden.

Exploring the Kitchen Garden

Claudia, with her excellent English, gave us an engaging introduction to the culinary and medicinal plants growing in her garden. There are over 200 in total! We saw everything from parsley, basil and oregano to wild mint and a memory enhancing Andean herb called paico.

After the garden tour, each of us was assigned a task to harvest ingredients for our dishes—picking fresh celery, maggi leaves (excellent antioxidant), swiss chard, dandelion and beetroot leaves, among others.

Cooking Together

Next to the main kitchen Claudia introduced us to the ancestral kitchen with an open fire known as a Tulpa, the center of the home. The family guinea pigs live in the area around this fire, kept warm by the ever-burning flames. Another important feature in this traditional kitchen was the grinding stone.

Back in the main kitchen, we divided into groups, each responsible for a different dish.

Otavalo Cooking Class Menu 

- Jorge prepared the hot sauce with fresh chillis and herbs in a stone pestle and mortar (aji de piedra)
- Nena & Malé made tortillas from quinoa, egg, beetroot leaves, garlic, onion, oats and other garden herbs cooked on a hot plate.
- Vale & Andrés took charge of dessert – sweet corn turnovers. After the hard work of grinding the corn on the ancestral grinding stone, the mixture was cooked on a traditional clay hot plate (tiesto) and served with a panela syrup infused with lemon verbena from the garden.
- Emma & Vero marinated and prepared the chicken, using freshly picked herbs crushed in a pestle and mortar and cooked in the ancestral kitchen on the Tulpa
- Megan, and Isabel focused on salads packed full of fresh produce such as tomato, avocado, lupin seeds (chochos) and radish. And a delicious stir fry of brocolli, carrot and zucchini.

A Feast to Remember – Otavalo Cooking Class Review

Finally, we sat down at a beautifully set table to enjoy the delicious meal we had prepared together. From garden to plate, this was a true farm-to-table experience—fun, interactive, and deeply satisfying.

Claudia is a fantastic host, making the entire experience entertaining, educational, and full of warmth. If you’re looking for an authentic taste of Otavalan culture and cuisine, this cooking class is an experience not to be missed!