Cusco: Cooking Class & Pisco Tasting with Chef

You Cook Three Peruvian Dishes in Three Hours, Then Drink What You Learn

You spend three hours cooking three iconic Peruvian dishes (ceviche, lomo saltado, and traditional snacks) under a professional chef's guidance in Cusco. The class includes a walk through El Mercado to learn about Andean ingredients, a pisco tasting where you make cocktails, and all meals and drinks. You do the cooking yourself, not watch someone else do it, and leave knowing how to make these dishes at home.

Step-by-step itinerary

Peruvian cooking and Pisco tasting

• Meet the chef and participants
• Explore El Mercado interpretive center
• Taste different potatoes and chicha morada
• Taste traditional alpaca and guinea pig snacks
• Participate in ceviche preparation
• Taste pure Pisco and learn cocktail making
• Prepare lomo saltado stir-fry

The experience

The chef is already at the stove when you walk in. Not demonstrating: waiting for you to join. That's the whole point of this class in Cusco: you're not watching someone else cook Peruvian food, you're making it yourself, your hands in the ceviche, your wok tilting the lomo saltado. The three-hour session starts with a fruit tasting and a walk through El Mercado, the interpretive center where you handle the potatoes (there are dozens of kinds here), and taste chicha morada before you even touch a knife.

Then you move to the kitchen. Ceviche comes first, and the chef walks you through the acid and the fish and why the timing matters, but you're the one squeezing the lime, the one tasting as you go. After that, pisco. You taste Peru's national spirit straight, then learn to build a cocktail with it, understanding how it got here and why it tastes the way it does. The class includes small bites made from alpaca and guinea pig: traditional snacks that most tourists skip, but they're part of the real meal. Then lomo saltado, the stir-fry that defines Peruvian cooking: you work the wok, you balance the soy and the vinegar and the heat. By the time you're done, you've cooked three dishes, tasted five things, and learned something about how Peruvian food actually works instead of just eating it.

The group stays small, which means the chef can watch what you're doing and adjust. If you're vegetarian or vegan or have any dietary restriction, tell them when you book. They adjust the whole class, not just your plate. You need your original passport at the start for tax purposes, and the minimum age is 15, but otherwise it's open to anyone who wants to cook instead of watch. The ingredients are all included, the meals are all included, the pisco tasting is included. You leave with the skills to make these dishes at home and a clearer sense of what Peruvian cooking actually is.

What’s included

All ingredients for the three dishes you cook, a full meal with the dishes you prepare, soft beverages and alcoholic beverages including pisco tasting, traditional Peruvian snacks made from alpaca and guinea pig, a guided tour of El Mercado with fruit and potato tasting, instruction from a professional chef, and accommodation for any dietary restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free) if noted at booking.

Days and timesMon–Sat · 14:00

Ages15 to 70 years · Under 15 — No ticket type: can't be added to a booking

Meeting point and pickupNo pickup · ends where it startsMeeting point, per the operator: “Palacio Street is right behind the Cathedral of Cusco (the main church at the main square). Beside our UCHU Peruvian Steak House Restaurant”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Operated by Marcelo Batata Cooking Class

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to learn Peruvian cooking hands-on rather than just eat it, and who value understanding the ingredients and techniques behind the food: the small group size and professional chef instruction mean you actually cook, not just watch, and leave knowing how to make these dishes yourself.

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Top questions

How long is the cooking class?

Three hours. It includes ingredient prep, cooking, tasting, and cleanup.

Do I need cooking experience?

No. The class is designed for everyone from novices to experienced cooks. The chef guides each step.

What dishes do I cook?

Ceviche, lomo saltado, and traditional Peruvian snacks. You also taste pisco and learn to make a cocktail.

Are dietary restrictions accommodated?

Yes. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and lactose-free options are available. Mention your needs when you book.

What's included in the price?

All ingredients, meals, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages (pisco tasting), snacks, and instruction from a professional chef.

What is El Mercado?

An interpretive center where you learn about and taste Andean products: different potato varieties, chicha morada, and other ingredients that form the foundation of Peruvian cuisine.

Is there a minimum age?

Yes, 15 years old. You'll need to bring your original passport at the start for tax purposes.

Do I need to bring anything?

Your original passport for tax documentation. Everything else (apron, ingredients, drinks) is provided.