What a wonderful thing to do in Quito. Not only because you get to learn and experience the amazing food scene, but also because you get to learn how to cook some key dishes! We started the day with a pick up from Andres who very kindly took us to one of the main markets in Quito. We sampled some of the local juices and marvelled at the unbelievable amount of locally grown fruit and vegetables. The climate and soil is so good for growing such a diverse number of crops. After this, we went to join Sylvia and Magda who taught us how to cook some of the main Ecuadorian dishes. On a personal level, I just wanted to say thank you to both these ladies. They are both so lovely and cooking with them felt like home. We will always remember their conversation, their great food and their kindness. Thank you!

We had a great time on this tour. We tried lots of samples of fruits at the market which we had never seen before. The cooking class was excellent and had a very personal touch. We felt like we had a moment in a traditional Ecuadorian home celebrating a new friendship. A beautiful experience for my family. The love and passion for Eqiadorian food and culture was felt!

What a fun experience. We learned how to make authentic Ecuadorian ceviche, potato soup, patacones, and chocolate soup with fruit. The chefs, Magola and Silvia, were warm, friendly and enthusiastic about cooking. Would Holly recommend this cooking class

This is a wonderful tour. First we visited the local market place and were told all about the various fruits and veggies that Ecuadorians use. The people offering the cooking class were warm and inviting. We got to participate in preparing the recipes (3) and then enjoyed eating the delicious results. The class is in a "colonial" house in the historic area and allows for time to walk around the historical area after the cooking class was over.

review galapagos connoisseur this cooking experience was a wonderful view into life in Ecuador and in Quito! my sweetie and i went together and had it all to ourselves. it was charming, personal, and intimate — not to mention educational! one tip: start your day with a coffee but try to skip breakfast! we wished we could have eaten more! short version: this cooking experience is the real deal and you’ll learn not only about local cuisine, but also a bit about life in Quito, as Andres and his family share their home and warmth with you. you won’t be disappointed! the day began with Andres picking us up and taking us to the market. he is fluent in english and spanish so it was easy for us to learn from him about his life and of course about the market. we got to meet some of the vendors whose stalls Andres has been visiting since he was a boy, and we sampled many of the wonderful fruits unique to Ecuador. it was super cool to have this guided tour of the history of the place, and it was nice to see (and be able to take some small advantage of!) Andre’s’ relationship with the vendors themselves. from there, we went to the home of Andres, where his wife Silvia gave us a short tour before entering the kitchen together with Margola. it’s hard to explain everything because even though Silvia and Margola speak english, my sweetie is Quitian and did most of the talking :) but we got a wonderful explanation of local cuisine and history as we prepared ceviche (which is not the typical “crudo” of raw seafood in acidic salsa — ceviche in Ecuador is cooked!), locro de papa (a classic and simple potato soup), patacon (smashed green plantain patties), and canelazo (a cinnamon drink with naranjilla). afterwards, we dined privately together in the room adjacent to the kitchen. the food was delicious! it was lovely to learn all of this and to get to know the family. they are all very warm and friendly and happy to share their culture, and i can’t recommend the experience enough!

OMG! What an enjoyable and special experience!! Marala, Andres and Sylvia were the best hosts...engaging, fun, and knowledgeable. Our visit to the Central Market was a great "appetizer" to start the morning. But walking into the "kitchen" after bringing some fresh food to slice up and learning a little bit about the fruits, veggies, potatoes, chocolate and seafood of Ecuador was such a blast! Though we were given our aprons and chefs hats, thank goodness we didn't do a lot of cooking but were taught about the various regions where the best food can be found. The soup, ceviche and dessert we "made" topped off a wonderful thing to do on our last day in Ecuador. We highly recommend

Andres, Margola, and Silvia were so amazing and genuine! We learned so much, and thoroughly enjoyed both the market and cooking experience.

We had a wonderful late morning to afternoon with everyone at Galapagos Connoisseur. Starting with walking through the marketplace with Andre and learning about the diverse fruit that are native to Ecuador. We made traditional Ecuadorian potato soup and chicken empandas made from green plantains. Sylvia and Magoda were professional and delightful. I will recommend this to any family or friends coming to Quito.

Take this class! Andres gives a great market tour and introduction to new produce and tastes. The class itself is a sensory bonanza--Magola is an outstanding cook and teacher and Silvia makes everything work right. We learned so much in a short period of time. We are anxious to try the recipes at home, especially the chocolate sauce, which was so-o-o good!! It's not as hands-on as other cooking classes but you do get to do some of the preparations. It is a great way to start your time in Ecuador.

My mom and I had a great time learning about the exotic fruits at the market. Andres is more than fluent in English. Then experiencing the learning and cooking with Margola and Silvia was excellent! So much food we left stuffed and happy. I wish we had know about Andres before booking our other excursions in Ecuador.

Loved this experience with Andres, Silvia and Margola. Andres was super-communicative before the experience and kept us updated on logistics. The market tour was full of great tastes and information. Come to this tour hungry! The cooking portion of the class was so fun. We learned so much about Ecuadorean food and got great tips about reproducing the recipes at home. Silvia and Margola went out of their way to help us with transportation to Mitad del Mundo. Andres, Margola and Silvia were delightful guides and will educate and nourish you!

What a great experience. We had an informative tour of the market with lots of snacks, samples, and stories along the way. Then we went to the most charming villa for the cooking lesson and lunch. The hosts were friendly, accommodating, and organized. This was my first time booking a tour like this through Viator, and it was a fantastic experience.

After tiring of heavy restaurant food, this home-cooking market tour and workshop was exactly what we needed. Great explanations given answering all our questions. Led by the friendliest people we met in Ecuador. A real experience!

Andres was warm, friendly and knowledgeable. He knows the Central Market very well and we enjoyed our tour very much which included a juice and fruit tasting and so much color and beauty as we learned about shopping customs, the fresh fruits and vegetables of Ecuador and enjoyed the sights. We especially loved the fragrance of the flower stalls. When we arrived at the class location we found the same warmth and knowledge shared by the two lovely ladies that led the class. While we acted mostly as souls chefs and chopped and peeled they made sure we understood the processes well enough that we could make the dishes when we got home. For instance we took a turn at mixing the tamale dough so that we knew what the consistency should feel like. We made a traditional potato soup, tamales and helped make a delicious fruit dessert with a bit of chocolate sauce added. While things simmered, and we enjoyed the amazing smells, Magola and Silvie talked to us about Ecuador’s food culture and the food prep and meals of everyday life. They were delightful, the food was delicious and we came out of there with full bellies and a deeper understanding of Ecuador. Definitely a highlight of a trip filled with so many great experiences.

Our group of three had a fantastic half-day with Andres, Margola, and Silvia. Visiting the markets with a knowledgeable escort was so informative. We learned about the similarities and differences among various fruits, vegetables, meats, and seafoods between America and Ecuador. The cooking class featured items we were particularly curious about: traditional potato soup and vegetarian tamales, plus a tasty cocktail and dessert of fruits and chocolate sauce. Everything was explained well, all our questions were thoughtfully answered in admirable English, and the chefs were friendly, charming, and accommodating. We ate but did not learn how to make the wonderful traditional "homemade" hot sauce, aji, so perhaps we will have to return! I recommend this experience to anyone interested in Ecuadorian food, especially if you have already traveled there a bit to develop some curiosity about the foods you have seen and tasted.

Four of us had an amazibg time. Everything went as planned and exceeded our expectations. The market was a great experience, and we learned a ton. The cooking was fun and made super easy. Food was out of this world Potato Soup and Empinadas with fruit and several local drinks. Would highly recommend the experience the Owner is super easy to work with

This was a great experience! The food was incredible and we got the type of insight into a culture you can only get when you learn how they cook and eat. We really loved the market and learning about the different foods for sale, including the role of medicinal herbs. The cooking was a lot of fun and we were engaged the entire time. Everyone was very knowledgeable and enjoyable to spend time with. Anyone visiting Quito should take this class!

We both love taking cooking classes. What better way to experience a culture! This one began at Mercado Central with Andres, where we had a freshly blended fruit juice, sampled different fruits, and had an Ecuadorian snack while also picking up ingredients for the dishes we’d cook. Then we met Silvia and Margola, who showed us how to make a potato soup, shrimp ceviche, tree tomato dessert, and the Ecuadorian traditional drink made with naranjilla: canelazo. All three of them were super nice, really informative, and fun to spend the afternoon with… and the meal was delicious! As Margola mentioned a few times, everything is easy and healthy! Definitely dishes I’ll be making when I get home (they give you the recipes too). If you’re looking for a great experience in Quito, we can’t recommend this cooking class enough!

Great fun. Knowledgable guide and a great way to see the city as well as visiting a local market to learn about and buy ingredients. The class itself was authentic and the cook/teacher was lovely. A great way to learn how to prepare local dishes

Andres was always quick to reply. Scheduling was a breeze with his promptness and flexibility (ask about date, time, and group options because it's not just what is offered online). Andres first takes you on a market tour at Mercado Central with descriptions and tastings of local fruits and snacks. I would've never thought of trying mote (lots of locals were lined up for it). He then drops you off at the cooking school with Sylvia and Magdalena. You get to learn how to prepare potato soup, shrimp ceviche, and fried smashed plantains. All are recipes you can easily reproduce at home. I'm not a fan of shrimp, but it was so fresh I ate most of it. Sylvia also offers you a hot cinnamon cocktail with fried corn snacks and fresh juice of whatever fruit you bring back from the market. Magdalena is a gem! I felt like I was cooking with my abuela. I was also alone for my class so she chatted with me while I ate. Classes are always small so that you get an intimate experience. Pick up and drop off included.