Each week we offer an intimate cooking class taught by our Executive Chef. This class is always held on the day that our fresh fish is delivered by boat to the resort from local fishermen. After the fish is purified in a Mayan ritual done by the resort shaman (Mayan spiritual healer), the guests each choose a fish to use for the class, where they will learn the Mayan recipe called Tikinxic. The fish choices usually consist of Red Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper and Grouper.

After choosing their fish, the guests are then escorted to our resort garden to gather fresh ingredients, such as organically grown onions, cilantro and tomatoes, which are all raised with fertilizer from our own compost. Before the cooking begins, each guest is fitted with a chef’s uniform (including the fun chef’s hat) and then takes part in the required sanitizing process prior to entering the kitchen.

Aside from the ingredients from our garden, this dish uses various local spices, such as achiote (annatto), sweet local limes and mixed sweet peppers, which are mixed together and crushed using a “molcajete” (which is a mortar and pestle made from local volcanic rock). This mixture is used as a marinade for the fish. The fish is then cooked over Mexican zapote wood, which gives it a distinct flavor that is similar to flavor of mesquite. Our Executive Chef walks the class through this entire process and at the end of class guests can choose to enjoy the fruits of their labor then or have it served at one of their meals later in the day.