Authentic Colombian cooking in Medellin with a local family

"this is my second time having a local food experience with Daniela. She is so knowledgeable and friendly and takes the time to make sure your eating experience is outstanding. We have visited the market for local fruits, had lunch at her home and I walked the farmers market on a Sunday. I highly recommend one her food inspired experiences for anyone who truly wants to taste local Colombian food."

"it was a fun evening and the food was excellent. If you have the chance you should visit with Daniela the Minorista"

"I am so glad that I chose to take this class in Medellín; it was truly a great experience. Finding the location was easy via Uber and I loved her kitchen! Daniela and her family were really great and knowledgeable about the foods we were making. She took her time with me to show me each step and we were able to talk about other Colombian food and culture. I have never had such a great one-on-one teaching experience like this, I would 100% do this class again every time I visit Medellín. This class really made my whole trip!! Special thanks to Daniela, her mom and staff for having everything prepared for my class, and for making me feel so at home with them. I can’t wait to get home and make these recipes my own to add to my repertoire!"

"We had a wonderful time with Daniella our chef the day before we received a selection of appetizers, main course and desserts to choose from we were picked up at our hotel and taken to a local market at that point Daniella took us on a tour and explained what we we’re going to pick up and she discussed the entire market with us and it seemed she knew everyone and we were very comfortable We arrived at her apartment and organized and prepared everything for our lunch Daniella had local books to view about Medellín and the surrounding area and she was very enthusiastic and engaging As we started to cook we could participate as much or as little as possible We had some music in the background and as this was our romantic 30 th anniversary year we chose romantic boleros Daniella’s mom was there and she added that special touch to the day that only a mom could bring warmth and kindness We forgot to bring a bottle of wine and lucky for us Daniella had an excellent carmanere that paired well with our choice for lunch which we were very grateful After lunch we were not rushed and Daniella spent time with us and asked if we had any questions and did we enjoy our meal I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Medellín to experience a home cooked meal in an Enjoyable relaxed atmosphere"

"We had a fun experience during our cooking lesson with Daniela, and walked away with tons of new insights on Medellín and Colombia as a whole. We made 3 dishes: Mazorca desgranada con queso y tocineta; Ajiaco; Almojabana and they were all delicious! Daniela was so welcoming to us and it was a lovely way to spend a few hours in her beautiful home and kitchen. We left knowing how to make a few traditional Colombian dishes and with a wealth of ideas for other things that to check out while in Medellìn. I recommend this activity if you have time during your visit."

"We had a fun experience during our cooking lesson with Daniela and walked away with lots of new insights on Medellín and Colombia as a whole. We made 3 dishes… Mazorca desgranada con queso y tocineta Ajiaco Almojabana …and they were all delicious! Daniela was so welcoming to us, it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon. She has a very nice home and beautiful kitchen. We walked away having learned how to make a few traditional Colombian dishes and with a bunch of ideas for things to see while we’re here. I recommend doing this if you have time while in Medellín."

"Top notch unique experience, highly recommended. Very warm and welcoming family. The food was great traditional Colombian."

"Awesome experience with Daniela learning some authentic Colombian home cooking! Daniela was a wonderful host and had everything ready for us to jump in and learn, cook, eat, and have fun. Had great conversation and a great sit-down family meal with what we prepared together. We made this our first experience after arriving in Colombia for our vacation so we could get some tips and advice on the best ways to take in Medellin. Daniela did not disappoint! She gave us a ton of great first-hand advice and background info that has made our vacation great. Thank you Daniela!!"

"What a lovely and unforgettable experience! Cooking with Daniela and her mom felt like leaving dinner with my own family. We made a delicious traditional Colombian soup and fresh arepas together, and the whole evening was filled with warmth, laughter, and genuine hospitality. Thank you, Daniela, for inviting me into your home and sharing such a special part of Colombian culture with me. Highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Medellín — you’ll leave with a full belly and an even fuller heart!"

"Cooking Class..... NO!!!! this was like a family having a great time. My two wonderful maestras were so much fun and enjoyable. Very comfortable and enjoyable. If you have an idle day in Medellin- I highly recommend this experience. You won't regret it."

"Our family of 6 (including grandparents and two children) had a fantastic time with Daniela and her mother! The market tour and shopping was terrific and we got to sample many local fruits and delicacies along the way. The lunch at their home was delicious and we felt like family. Highly recommended!"

"Dianela and her mother Beatrice drove us to the markets at Plaza Minorista. There they walked us through the various areas of the market explaining the different types of fruits, vegetables, breads, meats, fish, etc giving us tastes of different foods. They then took us back to their home and cooked the menu we chose, letting us assist or not, depending on what each of us wanted to do. They tailored the menu to suit the meat eaters and vegetarians in our group. Highly recommend this tour is you want to learn about Colombian cuisine. At the end of the day, Dianela answered all our questions and helped us with queries regarding other trips we wanted to take and the restaurants we'd be interested in."

"Daniela was such a great host. She got in touch with me a couple days prior to arrange the menu and gave me some time to think of which of the items I wanted to make. The market was pretty awesome. We tried so many different fruits that I never had before. I recommend this experience to anyone who's new to the area and wants to experience less partying and a home cooked meal."

"Daniela was amazing! She and her mother were so incredibly friendly and welcoming. My husband and I are queer yet we felt comfortable the entire time. We learned so much about local food ingredients, Colombian Spanish and slang, and of course enjoyed a delicious meal! We had the papa rellena, ajiaco, and merengón with fruit - all of it was delicious! She also gave us lots of recommendations for stuff to do in the city and connected us to a wonderful tour guide for Communa 13. Easily one of our favorite experiences of the whole trip to Medellín ❤️"

"Daniela was very welcoming. It was like hanging out a friends house. We learned to make 3 authentic dishes that were pretty simple and tasty…. Cant wait to make them at home! If you’re looking to have a great experience with good conversation, this is a must do. Thank you Daniela!"

"Daniela and her mother, Beatriz, were a delight to come home to on our first day in Medellín! My boyfriend, mother and I enjoyed a home cooked meal of sopa de plátano, sudado de muchacho and merengón with guanabana sauce and fresh strawberries and peaches. I loved drinking agua panela con limón—brown sugar and lime juice typical of the region. We enjoyed watching and learning about the cooking process—it was more of a hands on demonstration which we were grateful for as we had just landed. Daniela picked us up from our hotel and took us back. Her mom is a firecracker and we loved chatting with them both! They also had amazing restaurant recommendations! I can’t wait to return."

"From the market tour where you taste and learn about all the different local fruits, to the cooking lesson and of course eating- it was all great! Daniela is a wonderful host- I would do this tour/class again if I return to medellin!"

"Absolutely fantastic experience with Daniela and her mom. Daniela is a fantastic host, she taught us how to cook some typical Colombian dishes, but also shared with us a lot about her country. Dinner was super tasty and we had overall a wonderful evening! Absolutely recommended!"

"Daniela was a fantastic host, a fabulous chef/baker and a wonderful and interesting person to spend the morning with. We cooked together, explored the Plaza Minorista Market and ate our best meal so far in Colombia. My friend especially loved the patacón and we will certainly be making that as well as the guacamole, agua panela, tres leches cake and arroz con pollo again. I enjoyed her style, she was as hands on or off as we wanted with cooking, and she was informative and happy to share, but also curious as to our opinions and experiences. Any ingredient or topic we were curious about she had a wealth of information about it, and was constantly offering us local fruits and snacks. She also had great recommendations for where to go and what to do around Medellin including a great cafe and several shops which we visited directly after the tour. I would definitely recommend this experience and may even do it again before we leave Colombia!"

"Tripadvisor review: Private Market Tour and Colombian Cooking Lesson With a Local Family in Medellin This was a lot of fun and the food was delicious. One of the tour items we typically do in our travels is to participate in a cooking class. Of the various cooking classes which we have taken in various locations around the world, this was the best. It is a wonderful way to obtain an insider’s perspective of the culture, food, and people. Daniela, her mother and Caren (the assistant for the cooking class) were our hosts. The class takes place in her family’s beautiful, high-rise apartment in the Poblado district of Medellin, an easy 15-minute walk from our hotel. Daniela and crew had all ingredients prepared for our class when we arrived. They took us through each step of preparation of authentic, delicious , Colombian meals. After the meal preparation, we sat down at their table to enjoy the items which we had prepared. They were attentive, very organized and friendly. It was an outstanding experience. I highly recommend it to visitors."

"Excellent environment. Daniella and her mom make you feel just at home. Fun environment to learn a couple of typical Medellin/Colombian dishes. We had a lot of fun."

"Amazing Food!Daniela and her mom were wonderful hosts. We had a great time cooking with them and the food was delicious! Highly recommend!"

"Daniela is amazing!!! We had the absolute best time at Daniela’s apartment. She and her mom are the loveliest people. We cooked a traditional Colombian meal, step by step. They showed us the entire process and explained to us the cultural significance behind all of the food. While we cooked and spoke, Daniela offered us different traditional Colombian foods to try that she had around the house. When we sat down to eat, we had the most fantastic meal. The food was excellent and we sat with Daniela and her mom for hours, learning about their culture and talking to them about ours. It felt like we’d known them for years. It was our favorite meal of our whole trip. If you’re considering doing Traveling Spoon in Medellin, you MUST book with Daniela!!"

"Although we would have liked to have had a cooking lesson with Daniela, our time was limited, so we simply ate dinner at her home. She and her mother, Beatriz, were incredibly friendly and fun to talk with. Daniela served us a delicious traditional dinner and told us about many Colombian foods. Highly recommended."

"We started at our hotel in Medellin, where Daniela (Chef) picked us up. It was very good organized. Arrived at her home in Medellin we started to prepare lunch and while everything was cooking we explored the nearby market to buy other fruits and vegetables. It was such a great experience as we learned more about Colombia and its amazing food and taste. After the market we went home and had lunch. It was sooo good. I would definitely highly recommend this tour for you when you are in Medellin. Furthermore, Daniela was so nice she recommended further restaurants and places to visit on our vacation in Colombia. All in all, it was a super experience and such a nice & lovely family."

"My wife and I arranged a market tour and cooking lesson with Daniela through Traveling Spoon and we couldn't have been any happier with our experience. Daniela and her mother, Beatriz, welcomed us into their beautiful apartment in Medellin and made us feel at home. We started by walking over to a local farmer's market where we tried Colombian fruits and treats (try the arepa de choclo con queso!), Daniela and Beatriz loved introducing and sharing everything us. Next we returned the apartment where we began cooking arroz con pollo for lunch and tres leches for dessert. Daniela was fun to cook with and she thoughtfully explained every step (and had us try more fruits and drinks) a long the way. Sharing a meal with Daniela and Beatriz was a perfect way to end the morning, they loved to share their stories and experiences in Medellin and Colombia. We will definitely be looking for Traveling Spoon during our future travels and highly recommend this experience with Daniela!"

"I booked the market tour, cooking experience and meal with Daniela for four people. Daniela's communication in planning was excellent; she asked what we wanted to cook and eat, and tailored the menu accordingly. She checked back in the night before to confirm our pickup location - a nice touch for some out of towners unfamiliar with the city of Medellin. She picked us up on time, and we arrived to begin preparing food at her house. We were warmly greeted by her mother and they went to great lengths to show us the ingredients, include us in the preparation, and explain their processes. Their kitchen is incredibly well-outfitted, which makes sense as Daniela is a professional chef. Once the food was sufficiently prepared, before actually cooking, Daniela and her mother took us to Plaza Minorista for the market tour. There, she showed us fruits that we'd never tasted - were delicious, and some were unlike anything we'd ever tried before (and amazing)! Daniela was very interested in what we wanted to try, and made sure we had the opportunity to enjoy everything we asked for (especially the freshly fried arepas de choclo!!!)We returned back to Daniela's apartment and while the food was being cooked, tried a couple of beverages - aguardiente, and a cola, juice and beer mixture. We sat down to share the meal with them in their dining room. It was top notch - the food was prepared perfectly and delicious, and there was plenty to go around. In the end, we ate papas rellenas, arroz con pollo, and tres leches cake (with homeade jams as topping). In the end, only two of my group of four were able to make the experience. Daniela sent us home with the remainder of the food for them, which they raved over. We thought that gesture was a really nice touch.Wow - This experience was my highlight of Medellin. If you like fresh, delicious local cuisine prepared by a host who is intelligent, funny and can explain both the food and the culture - I can't recommend this experience enough. It was amazing. If you book the cooking and/or eating experience, my sincere advice is to request to have a cake for dessert. She says it's her favorite thing to make ;)"

"My daughters and I were interested in learning about traditional cooking methods and dishes for Medellin and we all agreed that the visit with Daniela and Beatrix was the absolute shining star of our visits. First, Daniela and Beatrix welcomed us into their home and then introduced us to the ingredients and their preparation. These are experienced chefs! We peeled five kinds of potatoes for Ajiaco along with shredding tender chicken and onions.They shared their family recipes and secrets (their home-made bouillion is amazing and such a healthier direction from "bouillion cubes") then they drove us to a local market where we walked around, tasted, and tasted, and tasted some more from samples of breads, cheeses, jams, etc., then watched people make an amazingly refreshing drink from limes and sugar cane. We went back to their apartment and finished the preparation for the meal - flattening and frying plantains for panacotes and making the amazing guacamole to accompany them and then creating the three milk blend for the tres leches to soak into the tres leches cake. The whole experience was just delightful, insightful and enlightening, and Daniela and Beatrix had welcomed us so warmly into their kitchen that it felt like a bunch of family members all working together to put a delicious meal on the table. What an absolutely delightful experience.I highly recommend these two women to you as cooks and two welcoming Medellin women ready to share the cooking traditions of a Colombian kitchen with you. Mucho Gusto and Gracias, Daniela and Beatrix! Bravo!"

"Easy booking, great communication from booking, to making plans, and everything in between - Daniella was a top class host and we enjoyed our time with her and her Mom - highly recommended. Thank you so much!"

"Daniela and her mother Beatrice welcomed us into their home and shared books, conversation and most importantly, cooking! It was cool to cook a local favorite and have the ability to bring this new recipe home with us. We were also treated to some local drinks and jams. Daniela was so accommodating that even though the markets were closed when we went, she took us on a journey to see the spectacular Christmas lights display in downtown Medellín. Booking this experience is a MUST DO in the city! We will be sure to recommend to all our friends and family."

"My friends and I wanted to experience more of the culture of Medellin and decided on a cooking lesson with a local chef. Daniela (fluent in English) was very friendly and welcomed us into her home. She has great open communication with us before arrival in regards to what we would like to cook and which market we wanted to experience. She and her adorable mother took us to the local market where we were able to try the local snacks and fruits. After the markets, we came back to her home and enjoyed drinks and the home cooked meal which we were able to partially prepare. Daniela also gave us suggestions on local hot spots and recommended a tour group for us to get in touch with for the following day. My friends and I were able to experience a unique side of Columbia’s culture with Daniela’s cooking lesson/market tour!"

"We ate, we laughed, we learned. Daniela is a great hostess, and I had a great experience."