Private Mexican Cooking Class with Licensed Chef

Mexican food becomes much easier to understand when you learn what each ingredient is doing. In Chef David Jahnke’s private class, you prepare four dishes, from tortilla soup and green enchiladas to Veracruz-style fish and buñuelos, while hearing how chilies, corn, tomatoes, piloncillo, and other staples shaped the country’s cooking. The food lesson is also a cultural lesson.

I like the choice of menus and the practical format. You can select four dishes from a long list, request vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or pescetarian options, and choose between hands-on work and watching the chef demonstrate. I also like that Chef David sends the recipes afterward, so the class can live on in your own kitchen. The main consideration is pacing: the opening talk can last about an hour, and four full dishes may leave you very full without providing leftovers to take home.

Key points at a glance

• Four dishes, your choice: Select from a broad menu instead of being locked into one set meal.
• Chef David Jahnke teaches: He holds culinary qualifications from Mexico, Germany, France, and the World Association of Chefs.
• A home-kitchen setting: The class takes place at Chef David’s cooking school and home in the San Antonio area of San Miguel de Allende.
• Food and cultural context: Expect discussion of Mexican agriculture, ingredients, traditional tools, nutrition, and the movement of foods across the world.
• Hands-on or demonstration style: You can cook at your own station or watch the chef handle more of the preparation.
• A filling three-hour lunch: You eat the four dishes you prepare, but this is not a takeaway class.

What this San Miguel cooking class is really about

This is more than a recipe lesson. Chef David Jahnke treats Mexican cooking as a record of trade, agriculture, migration, and daily life. Before the knives come out, you may spend a substantial part of the class learning how Mexican ingredients and methods developed, including the place of corn, chilies, tomatoes, and traditional sweeteners in the national kitchen.

That opening is useful if you want context rather than a quick demonstration. You will hear about ingredients that Mexico gave to world cooking and about foods that arrived from other parts of the world and became part of Mexican cuisine. The class also covers nutrition and the reasons behind certain cooking choices.

The tradeoff is clear. If you want to start cooking within ten minutes, the introduction may feel long. If you enjoy food culture and want to understand the why behind a recipe, it gives the meal more meaning.

Chef David has worked internationally as a chef for 34 years. His qualifications include professional cook certification from the German government, Chef Educator certification from the World Association of Chefs, a gastronomy degree recognized by Mexico’s Secretary of Education, and the Maitre Cuisinier title from a French culinary association. Those credentials matter most in the way the class is organized: explanations are paired with technique, not simply delivered as a list of facts.

Four courses, with room to build your own menu

The sample menu gives you a good picture of the range. It moves from soup to enchiladas, then fish, then dessert, so you work with several core Mexican techniques in one sitting.

You begin with sopa de tortilla, also called Aztec or Mexican tortilla soup. The base is a chicken and tomato broth, served with fried pasilla chili, crisp corn chips, avocado, cream, and fresh ranchero cheese. This is a useful first dish because it shows how a simple broth becomes a layered meal through texture, heat, dairy, and fresh toppings.

Next comes enchiladas verdes. Corn tortillas are filled with chicken, covered in a green tomatillo and chili sauce, and finished with lettuce, avocado, Mexican cream, and ranchero cheese. This gives you practice with a familiar Mexican format while showing how the sauce, tortilla, filling, and garnishes need to work together.

The third dish, pescado a la Veracruzana, shifts the focus to the coast. A snapper fillet is steamed inside a banana leaf and served with a tomato sauce containing olives, capers, bell peppers, onion, and other ingredients. It is a helpful contrast to the chili-led dishes because the sauce brings acidity and savory depth from Mediterranean ingredients that became part of Mexican cooking.

Dessert is buñuelos, Mexican fritters served with a syrup made from piloncillo sugar, guava, citrus, anise, cinnamon, vanilla, and more. This is a chance to learn how Mexican sweets use spice and fruit instead of relying only on refined sugar.

That menu is only a starting point. After booking, Chef David sends a longer list of dishes, allowing you to create a four-course menu that better matches your interests. Past menu choices have included ceviche al estilo Acapulco, mole poblano, and chocolate flan. You should make your selections ahead of time, especially if your group has mixed tastes or dietary needs.

What you actually do in the kitchen

The hands-on option is the best fit if you want skills you can repeat at home. You may chop, season, assemble, and help prepare each course, with Chef David explaining the purpose of each step. The class also covers knife skills, dried chilies, sauces, broth, traditional tools, and ways to adapt techniques to other dishes.

The setup is organized around individual work areas, with ingredients portioned and prepared for the lesson. That matters because you spend your time learning instead of waiting for basic shopping and sorting. Chef David may also use produce from his garden, giving you a direct connection between the ingredient and the finished plate.

If you prefer to watch, you can choose a demonstration class. That option suits people who enjoy culinary instruction but do not want to spend three hours chopping and assembling. It may also work well for a mixed group, though the supplied information does not specify whether every participant can choose a different format within the same booking, so ask before you reserve if that distinction matters.

The cooking is not rushed. Courses are prepared in stages, and each completed dish is presented before you move on. This creates a proper meal rather than a single crowded cooking session, but it also means the class can feel lengthy if you are mainly interested in a few recipes.

A meal that teaches technique, not just presentation

The strongest part of the class is the connection between method and result. You are not simply handed a finished plate and told that it is traditional. You work through the ingredients and see how a broth, sauce, tortilla, banana leaf, or syrup changes the final dish.

Chef David also explains how techniques can transfer to other cooking. A knife lesson is useful beyond enchiladas. Understanding a tomatillo-chili sauce helps with other green sauces. Learning to season broth gives you a base for soups and stews. That practical focus makes the $147 price easier to assess.

At three hours, the cost is not low for a meal in San Miguel de Allende. Still, the price includes private instruction for your group, four dishes, the food you eat, menu customization, and recipes to use later. If you compare it with a restaurant lunch alone, it is expensive. If you value a private lesson from a chef with international training and plan to cook the recipes again, the value is stronger.

One important point: the food is eaten during the class. You should not expect to leave with containers of leftovers or finished dishes for later. The menu can be generous enough that you may not want dinner afterward, but the meal is part of the lesson, not a separate takeaway benefit.

The San Antonio setting and private format

The cooking school is at C. Del Tesoro 23 in San Antonio, a neighborhood of San Miguel de Allende. The activity begins and ends at the same meeting point, and it runs Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. That timing makes it a substantial lunch and leaves the rest of your afternoon free.

Because the activity is private, only your group participates. This is a major advantage for families, couples, or friends who want to ask questions without sharing the lesson with strangers. It also gives you more control over the menu and the pace.

The setting is a home kitchen rather than a large commercial classroom. That can make the experience feel personal and relaxed, and Chef David’s wife may help with the class. His family may also make occasional appearances. If you prefer a polished restaurant school with a formal teaching kitchen, this home-based format may feel informal. If you want to see how food is prepared in a real domestic setting, it is a good match.

The address is near public transportation. The details provided do not specify a hotel pickup service, so plan to make your own way to the meeting point and confirm the route before your class.

Food restrictions and menu planning

This class is unusually flexible about food preferences. Chef David offers vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, pescetarian, and other options, and he can adjust the menu for dietary restrictions. You should communicate those needs clearly when arranging the four dishes, rather than waiting until the cooking begins.

The menu choice also lets you set the balance of the class. A group might choose soup, a vegetable dish, fish, and dessert. Another group might focus on sauces, tortillas, and meat-free recipes. The available sample menu contains chicken, fish, dairy, and wheat-related ingredients, so it may not suit every diet without changes.

Do not assume that every replacement will work with every other course. A good four-course menu needs balance in flavor, time, and preparation. Ask Chef David for help if your group wants to avoid meat, dairy, gluten, or seafood while still keeping the class varied.

Who will enjoy the three-hour format

I would choose this class if you want to cook, eat a full lunch, and understand Mexican food beyond restaurant ordering. It suits home cooks, food-focused couples, families, and solo participants who enjoy asking questions and learning by doing.

It is also a good pick for people who have taken cooking classes elsewhere and want something more detailed. The instruction covers food origins, agriculture, traditional utensils, nutrition, and technique, rather than just one recipe.

You may want a different activity if you dislike long explanations, have a very small appetite, or want to take food back to your accommodation. Four courses can be a lot, especially after a full morning of sightseeing. The demonstration option may help, but the class remains built around a complete meal.

The class is offered in English, which makes it practical for English-speaking visitors. Confirmation is provided at booking, and free cancellation is available until 24 hours before the local start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted for a refund.

Is Chef David’s class worth booking?

For the right cook, yes. Book it if you want a private, educational meal with real kitchen participation, flexible dishes, and recipes you can repeat at home. The strongest reasons are Chef David’s culinary background, the amount of cultural context, and the freedom to create a four-dish menu instead of accepting a fixed script.

Before booking, accept two limits: the class may spend its first hour on instruction, and you will eat the food rather than carry it away. If that sounds like a fair exchange for a long lunch and a useful lesson, the $147 price is defensible. If you want a quick cooking activity or a box of prepared food, choose something shorter and less formal.

FAQ

Where does the cooking class take place?

The class takes place at Chef David Jahnke Cooking Classes School, C. Del Tesoro 23, San Antonio, 37750 San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. The activity ends at the same meeting point.

How long is the class?

The class lasts approximately three hours, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Is the class private?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

Can I choose the dishes?

Yes. The sample menu is available, but Chef David also sends a list of other dishes after booking. You can use that list to create your own four-course menu.

Can the menu accommodate dietary restrictions?

Yes. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, pescetarian, and other dietary options are available. Share your requirements when planning the menu.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours in advance are not refunded or accepted.