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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Américo

Bucaramanga, Colombia

USD
$35 per person

Colombian home cooking with a mother-son team

Host offerings
  • Apartment
  • Professional cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Américo

Fabio (Américo) and his mother, Carmenza, are passionate about cooking traditional Colombian food. They live in a small apartment in the center of Bucaramanga, close to the central market. They visit the market every day to buy the freshest ingredients. Fabio and Carmen cook and sell box lunches from their kitchen, serving typical Colombian dishes to hungry office workers.

Fabio studied cooking and gastronomy and has participated in several cooking competitions, most recently winning second place! He moved to New York to learn English and worked in a restaurant and then returned to Colombia to finish his studies in gastronomy. Join Fabio and Carmen for a traditional meal of comida Santanderana, cooking from their home region of Santander.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-6 guests) Fabio serves traditional Santandereana cuisine that showcase the wide variety of ingredients available in the region of Santander. You’ll sample both savory and sweet dishes at his table. Your meal will start with a taste of a fresh fruit. Soups are a staple of the Colombian diet and your meal will continue with a typical soup or stew filled with seasonal vegetables and meat. You might taste his arroz con espinaca (spinach rice) or fish in criolla sauce (the Colombian sofrito, made with tomato, onion, celery, garlic, peppers, and spices), a sweet and sour salad filled with fruits, vegetables, cheese and a creamy vinaigrette. For dessert you’ll have a traditional Colombian sweet and a limonada (a refreshing drink made from panela (raw sugar), sour fruit juice, spices and lots of ice).

Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Learn to prepare authentic empanadas and arepas Colombianas with Fabio and Carmen. You will learn to mix the dough from scratch and prepare a variety of fillings and sauces to accompany them. Prepare fillings like beef and rice, chicken and mushroom, hawainas (pineapple, ham and cheese), santandereanas (carne oreada with hogao). You will also make several sauces like aji colombiano (Colombian pepper sauce), tartara (mayonnaise with herbs) or piña calada (pineapple with raw sugar).

Market visit: (1-6 guests) Explore with Fabio Bucaramanga’s central market, a five-floor building, filled with everything you need to make a traditional Colombian meal as well as handicrafts and prepared food and beverages. Fabio will introduce you to a variety of vegetables and fruits, and other agricultural products all harvested in Santander. When it’s time for a break, Fabio will take you to one of the oldest coffee shops in the city for a typical coffee and pandebono, a sweet-salty cheese bread that is a popular accompaniment to coffee.

Languages spoken: English, Spanish

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Sweet and sour Colombian salad
  • Vegetable soup
  • Fish in criolla sauce
  • Spinach rice
  • Limonada

Traveler reviews

5.0 (4)
Américo and his mother welcomed to me into their home this afternoon. We spent some time talking about possible menus and then off we went to several markets to buy the necessary fish, fruits, vegetables and other necessary ingredients for our dinner. Américo is a trained chef and his mother and he make a great team in the kitchen. They taught me how to prepare patacones, yuca frita, arroz, majorra, bocachico, jugo de lulo, ensalada rusa, ensalada de aguacate, papas amarillas, and more! It was delicious! They also took me to the dulceria Dona Mireya and bought me some local specialty sweets. I really appreciated spending the afternoon and evening with this wonderful son and mother team. Everyone in all the local shops knew them and It was interesting to see them interact. This was a great way to spend time with local people and their dog and a great way to get to know the people of Bucaramanga, Colombia, their local products, and their food. I recommend this market visit and cooking class to anyone wanting an authentic cultural and culinary experience.
- Heather June 08, 2024
We spent a great afternoon with Fabio Americo and his mother. The market tour was very interesting. We were able to choose the dishes and our daughter cooked with Fabio Americo. It was very tasty and plentiful. We learned a lot, met very nice people and ate very well. A clear recommendation for this activity. It is worth it ! (Google translated)
- Susanne September 30, 2023
Americo and his mother were amazing the house for this food tour and cooking class experience. He even offered free of charge a Morning tour of old Bucaramanga and Simon Bolivar museum. Then taking us to this incredible market in this old building where his mother knew everyone so you knew you were getting top quality ingredients after that we went to his home where I learned amazing recipes of real Colombian cuisine. Meanwhile, my family enjoyed conversation with his mother through body language, and Google translator. It is a must do activity/tour when you come to Bucaramanga. ♑Americo comes in as your tour guide but you leave as friends. The only negative is that I wish I could give more than five stars. Instead, I will continue to share my experience with all my friends and family, so that if they may talk about this tour with others, they will go and book it because it is a true experience when I will hold forever in my heart and memories.
- Galen E August 31, 2023
I loved this experience meeting Fabio and his mother and learning how to make several Colombian specialties. From the market visit to the general cooking tips to the hands-on lesson in making arepas and patacones to (of course) eating the delicious meal, this was an unforgettable experience where I felt beyond welcomed. Fabio really went out of his way to make sure I got everything I wanted out of it (which specifically was, the arepa and patacon lessons and fresh juices from Colombian fruits). Highly recommend!
- nolang290 September 12, 2019

Américo

$35 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $35 $35 $35
Alcohol
 $10 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $35 $35 $35
Alcohol
 $10 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 3:00pm-7:00pm

Meet Américo

Fabio (Américo) and his mother, Carmenza, are passionate about cooking traditional Colombian food. They live in a small apartment in the center of Bucaramanga, close to the central market. They visit the market every day to buy the freshest ingredients. Fabio and Carmen cook and sell box lunches from their kitchen, serving typical Colombian dishes to hungry office workers.

Fabio studied cooking and gastronomy and has participated in several cooking competitions, most recently winning second place! He moved to New York to learn English and worked in a restaurant and then returned to Colombia to finish his studies in gastronomy. Join Fabio and Carmen for a traditional meal of comida Santanderana, cooking from their home region of Santander.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-6 guests) Fabio serves traditional Santandereana cuisine that showcase the wide variety of ingredients available in the region of Santander. You’ll sample both savory and sweet dishes at his table. Your meal will start with a taste of a fresh fruit. Soups are a staple of the Colombian diet and your meal will continue with a typical soup or stew filled with seasonal vegetables and meat. You might taste his arroz con espinaca (spinach rice) or fish in criolla sauce (the Colombian sofrito, made with tomato, onion, celery, garlic, peppers, and spices), a sweet and sour salad filled with fruits, vegetables, cheese and a creamy vinaigrette. For dessert you’ll have a traditional Colombian sweet and a limonada (a refreshing drink made from panela (raw sugar), sour fruit juice, spices and lots of ice).

Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Learn to prepare authentic empanadas and arepas Colombianas with Fabio and Carmen. You will learn to mix the dough from scratch and prepare a variety of fillings and sauces to accompany them. Prepare fillings like beef and rice, chicken and mushroom, hawainas (pineapple, ham and cheese), santandereanas (carne oreada with hogao). You will also make several sauces like aji colombiano (Colombian pepper sauce), tartara (mayonnaise with herbs) or piña calada (pineapple with raw sugar).

Market visit: (1-6 guests) Explore with Fabio Bucaramanga’s central market, a five-floor building, filled with everything you need to make a traditional Colombian meal as well as handicrafts and prepared food and beverages. Fabio will introduce you to a variety of vegetables and fruits, and other agricultural products all harvested in Santander. When it’s time for a break, Fabio will take you to one of the oldest coffee shops in the city for a typical coffee and pandebono, a sweet-salty cheese bread that is a popular accompaniment to coffee.

Languages spoken: English, Spanish

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Sweet and sour Colombian salad
  • Vegetable soup
  • Fish in criolla sauce
  • Spinach rice
  • Limonada

Traveler reviews

5.0 (4)
Américo and his mother welcomed to me into their home this afternoon. We spent some time talking about possible menus and then off we went to several markets to buy the necessary fish, fruits, vegetables and other necessary ingredients for our dinner. Américo is a trained chef and his mother and he make a great team in the kitchen. They taught me how to prepare patacones, yuca frita, arroz, majorra, bocachico, jugo de lulo, ensalada rusa, ensalada de aguacate, papas amarillas, and more! It was delicious! They also took me to the dulceria Dona Mireya and bought me some local specialty sweets. I really appreciated spending the afternoon and evening with this wonderful son and mother team. Everyone in all the local shops knew them and It was interesting to see them interact. This was a great way to spend time with local people and their dog and a great way to get to know the people of Bucaramanga, Colombia, their local products, and their food. I recommend this market visit and cooking class to anyone wanting an authentic cultural and culinary experience.
- Heather June 08, 2024
We spent a great afternoon with Fabio Americo and his mother. The market tour was very interesting. We were able to choose the dishes and our daughter cooked with Fabio Americo. It was very tasty and plentiful. We learned a lot, met very nice people and ate very well. A clear recommendation for this activity. It is worth it ! (Google translated)
- Susanne September 30, 2023
Americo and his mother were amazing the house for this food tour and cooking class experience. He even offered free of charge a Morning tour of old Bucaramanga and Simon Bolivar museum. Then taking us to this incredible market in this old building where his mother knew everyone so you knew you were getting top quality ingredients after that we went to his home where I learned amazing recipes of real Colombian cuisine. Meanwhile, my family enjoyed conversation with his mother through body language, and Google translator. It is a must do activity/tour when you come to Bucaramanga. ♑Americo comes in as your tour guide but you leave as friends. The only negative is that I wish I could give more than five stars. Instead, I will continue to share my experience with all my friends and family, so that if they may talk about this tour with others, they will go and book it because it is a true experience when I will hold forever in my heart and memories.
- Galen E August 31, 2023
I loved this experience meeting Fabio and his mother and learning how to make several Colombian specialties. From the market visit to the general cooking tips to the hands-on lesson in making arepas and patacones to (of course) eating the delicious meal, this was an unforgettable experience where I felt beyond welcomed. Fabio really went out of his way to make sure I got everything I wanted out of it (which specifically was, the arepa and patacon lessons and fresh juices from Colombian fruits). Highly recommend!
- nolang290 September 12, 2019
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $35 $35 $35
Alcohol
 $10 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $35 $35 $35
Alcohol
 $10 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 3:00pm-7:00pm
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