Anita’s Mayan Cooking Class in Lake Atitlan

Anita’s Mayan Cooking Class in San Pedro La Laguna, Lake Atitlan was my favorite experience in San Pedro La Laguna. From the moment you meet Anita, you’ll know why. Full of life and gratitude, Anita’s Mayan Cooking Class is a place where you should invest your time and money when traveling. Anita will teach you about local culture in San Pedro, Mayan cuisine and how to give back in your own way. A self-proclaimed rebel and rule-breaker, Anita is the type of person the world needs more of.

Shopping at the San Pedro Market for our Lake Atitlan Cooking Class

To kick off the cooking class, we went shopping in the local market in San Pedro La Laguna. The market in San Pedro La Laguna runs every day from dawn until around 3 pm. Typically markets in Guatemala are closed on Sunday. But Anita explained that in San Pedro the people are very poor. Often, they don’t have refrigerators at home. So the market is open daily so that access to fresh food is always possible. 

As we strolled through the market, Anita shared that she is friends with all the vendors. But this wasn’t always the case. It took time to build up relationships. Being a tour guide in Guatemala, especially San Pedro, is thought to be a man’s job. Accepting a woman did not come naturally. 

These days, Anita supports the local vendors by trading off who she buys from each day. She also neglects to barter. Bartering is part of Guatemalan culture. But Anita pays the asking price to show her appreciation, support and maintain relationships. She considers herself the most blessed woman in San Pedro La Laguna. This is just one way in which she can give back. 

Cooking in Anita’s Kitchen

After shopping, we headed back to Anita’s home where she hosts her cooking classes. Her kitchen sits high overlooking Lake Atitlan. The perfect cooking class view. We unloaded the produce and admired our haul. We washed our hands and put on our aprons, ready to prepare our Mayan feast. 

Earlier, we selected as a group, our meal. To help us make our selection, Anita explained to us the history behind a few of the dishes available. 

The history behind Támales in Guatemala

For our Lake Atitlan cooking class we chose tamalas clásicos as our main, chilaquilos de Güisquil as our side and mole de plátanos for dessert. 

Tamales are considered the meal of the Gods or the Kings in Mayan tradition. Guatemalans traditionally eat tamales during Mayan Christmas or at children’s birthdays. The women in the family prepare the tamales. Some with double meat, others with bone. It’s a playful little way that elders play tricks on the family, and teach children a lesson. Those who receive the meat are asked to share with those that have the bones. The first lesson, that sharing is caring. 

In addition to the life lesson, tamale ingredients also have meaning. The leaves represent the universe. The dough represents the world. And inside, the salsa ricado, made with 22 different ingredients represents creativity. The meat represents our skills. Anita explained that in Mayan culture they believe that we are each born unique – one of a kind. For this reason, no family recipe is the same. The tast and flavor is always different, just like us. 

Last, the tie. The tamales are wrapped like little presents before they are steamed. The tie represents the belly of a woman when she is pregnant. The 45 minutes steam time is the 9 month gestation period. And when you open the tamale, there is the surprise. Just like the surprise of life. 

Anita’s cooking lessons

Of course, Anita explained all this and so much more in such a moving and genuine way during our cooking class. I was crying within five minutes of meeting her. Her story, how she arrived here, and her mission are an inspiration to those in her community, and to me and those she’s able to teach. That story, along with many more Anita shared throughout our time together. 

From Guatemalan culture, clothes, civil war, education and daily life. She’s an open book. 

Cooking at Anita’s overlooking Lake Atitlan

Now, back to the Lake Atitlan cooking class. Anita put us to work, each a different task. We took turns doing different tasks or learning new tricks. Like the local way to chop an onion or open an avocado. Soon the aromas filled the air and our stomachs were rumbling. 

As we were a large group, 12, Anita also offered us snack time whilst the tamales cooked. Snacks included guacamole, a radish salad, tortilla chips, chicharrón and three varieties of mango to taste. The green mango with spices and ground pumpkin seeds was fantastic. As well as the local coffee from her family farm. 

After snacking, we prepped the chilaquiles de Güisquil – two pieces of pan fried squash with mozzarella cheese in the middle and dredged in egg. And last, the dessert – a complex and flavorful chocolate mole sauce for the mole de plátanos and pan fried plantains. Soon, the tamales were ready for their big reveal. 

As an accompaniment to our meal, we also prepared a pineapple chia drink. And then, we sat and ate together at the shared table. We exchanged stories and heard more from Anita about her life experiences and those of the people of San Pedro La Laguna. 

Was Anita’s Cooking Class in Lake Atitlan worth it?

I left feeling blessed to have spent time getting to know Anita. And I am very thankful for this experience. If you are ever in San Pedro La Laguna or visiting Lake Atitlan, visit Anita’s Mayan Cooking Class. It was my favorite part of San Pedro La Laguna. 

Help Anita help local children in Lake Atitlan

If you don’t have the opportunity to visit Anita personally, you can support local children with their education. Access to education in this rural, remote, poor community is a big challenge. There is so much potential here, give back if you can. You also should soon be able to learn from Anita anywhere in the world. Word is she’s publishing a cookbook very soon!