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Learn to make both classic corn-husk tamales and airy tamales de elote on the rooftop terrace of Lugar de Huida. This four-hour, bilingual class pairs practical technique with city views and an intimate art-gallery atmosphere.
Learn to make both classic corn-husk tamales and airy tamales de elote on the rooftop terrace of Lugar de Huida. This four-hour, bilingual class pairs practical technique with city views and an intimate art-gallery atmosphere.
Book with Martaja
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Martaja · Ciudad de México, Ciudad de México
On a leafy rooftop above Cholula Street in Ciudad de México, Martaja's Tamales 101 turns a classic home recipe into a four-hour lesson in technique, flavor and neighborhood culture. Set on the terrace of Lugar de Huida gallery in Colonia Hipódromo, this hands-on class teaches participants to make a green tamal wrapped in corn husks and a seasonal tamal de elote wrapped in banana leaves, finishing by sharing the meal amid murals, potted plants and an art-strewn skyline. The session opens with a practical primer: masa dough consistency, hydration ratios using masa harina or fresh ground corn, and how much salsa or filling produces a light, moist tamal. Under an instructor fluent in English and Spanish, you’ll grind corn for the elote dough, learn two wrapping techniques—corn husk and Oaxacan banana leaf—and use a molcajete to build smoky chipotle salsa. Throughout, Martaja emphasizes adaptable methods so you can reproduce results at home and work around dietary needs; classes are friendly to vegetarians, vegans and guests with common allergies when arranged in advance. What makes this class distinct is its setting and small scale. Grupo sizes cap at twelve, meaning hands-on guidance as you move from mixing to steaming. The rooftop is accessed past a working sculptor’s studio and climbed by steep staircases - an idiosyncratic route that leads to a terrace scattered with local ceramics, a mural by a featured artist, and even the odd discarded presidential bust that turns a cooking lesson into an urban story. In jacaranda season the purple blooms across the street provide a vivid backdrop; during rainy months Martaja may move indoors. Practical details matter: the class runs about four hours, includes Mexican alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, and offers optional upgrades—private sessions, tasting-room venue, cocktails or at-home experiences. Bring an appetite, comfortable shoes for stairs, and questions about substitutions; Martaja's instructors welcome dietary discussion via email or WhatsApp after booking. This experience is more than a cooking lesson. It’s a cultural exchange: you leave with two tamal recipes, a tactile sense of traditional tools and a better understanding of how Mexico City's contemporary art scene and home cooking intersect. For travelers who want to eat like a local and learn tangible skills against a vibrant urban backdrop, Martaja's rooftop class is both a practical workshop and a memorable afternoon in Hipódromo. Expect hands-on pacing that balances demonstration and practice: instructors rotate through stations so each guest completes both tamales, steams them, and helps plate the final meal on locally made dinnerware. The class is bilingual (en/es) and capped at 12 people; steep stair access makes it unsuitable for some mobility needs - Martaja will advise if an alternate venue is necessary. Bring a light jacket for evening classes.
The experience lasts about four hours and includes hands-on instruction, steaming, and a shared meal.
Access requires climbing several steep staircases; Martaja can sometimes relocate the class or offer an alternative venue—contact them before booking.
Yes—Martaja supplies all ingredients, beverages and locally made dinnerware used during the class.
Yes. The class can be adapted for vegetarians, vegans and common allergies if you notify Martaja in advance.
Instructors speak English and Spanish (en/es) during the class.
Yes. Optional extras include private upgraded experiences, tasting-room or at-home venues, cocktail or agave-spirits options, and Mexican craft wine.
Martaja is a Mexico City cooking studio and experiential host based in Ciudad de México. The business specializes in hands-on Mexican cooking classes and guided market tours that focus on traditional techniques and regional recipes. Martaja offers multiple venues—including a scenic rooftop, an Art Deco home filled with Mexican treasures, and a historic Agave location—where guests learn to prepare authentic moles, tamales, salsas, tortillas, and accompanying dishes. Each experience emphasizes practical skills and cultural context. Classes guide participants from market selection through ingredient preparation to the finished plate, teaching how to balance spices, prepare and toast chiles, craft masa for tamales, and form fresh tortillas. Signature offerings include rooftop mole workshops where guests create two moles from scratch and dine on locally-made dinnerware; tamales classes that cover green and fresh-corn varieties paired with smoky salsas; and combined market tour and cooking classes that pair a lively market visit with a communal feast. Martaja highlights regional specialties such as manchamanteles with pineapple, fruity red and sweet pineapple moles, and vibrant green moles with spinach and herbs. Sessions typically conclude with a shared meal, drinks, storytelling, and hands-on plating or table setting. Located in Ciudad de México and operating across rooftop, home, and historic settings, Martaja provides activity-driven culinary experiences for visitors seeking authentic technique-driven classes. The business’s focus on market-sourced ingredients, hands-on instruction, and clearly described class formats offers reliable options for travelers wanting to learn traditional mole and tamal recipes in Mexico City.
Book with Martaja