I attended the press trip for the launch of Little Eco Chefs culinary kids program. It was at no cost to me so that I could bring you the full story. I received no monetary compensation and the opinions expressed are my own.
Little Eko Chefs Unique Culinary Kids Program
Generations Riviera Maya is a new resort by Karisma Hotels. It is renowned for its Gourmet Inclusive® Experience so it is no wonder that they have come up with a phenomenal culinary kids program- Little Eko Chefs.
The Generations Riviera Maya Little Eko Chefs program is in essence a series of gourmet cooking classes for children. Your child does not require any cooking experience for these classes. Nor will you pay any extra for the classes as they are included in the Eko Kids program. The Little Eko Chefs program is designed to teach kids more than just recipes. Kids will walk away with a little history and cultural lesson to go along with the food prep experience. They will even get delicious recipes that you will want your child to duplicate at home!
MasterChef Junior’s Season 1 Winner, Alexander Weiss, Kicked Off the Little Eko Chefs Program
To show you just how awesome the Little Eko Chefs program is, Alexander Weiss, MasterChef Junior’s Season 1 Winner was there! He actually launched the first Little Eko Chefs class. There was a cooking demo for the adults. He also designed and shared his own cookie recipe with the children. They are also making a video of Alexander Weiss to share with future Little Eko Chefs. My daughter was asking me tons of questions about him. Kids love to see that other kids can cook and want to cook.
Alexander Weiss showed amazing pose for someone of his age. He did an amazing job connecting with the children in a fun way and getting them involved mixing the cookie dough ingredients. The kids had a tremendous amount of fun. You could see how proud they were to show their cookies to their parents.
More On The Little Eko Chefs Classes
Little Eko Chefs will be held every weekday in the resort’s Eko Kids Club. It is a first-of-its-kind program, incorporating historical facts, cultural facts, sanitization and food prep basics, and hands-on cooking experiences. Many of the ingredients used for Little Eko Chefs will be sourced locally from Karisma’s 75,000 square foot Greenhouse. It is located just a few steps away from the resort. All Little Eko Chefs participants will be awarded a special certificate after completing each class. It is a fun testament to their new gastronomic skills.
Besides the cookie making class fashioned by Alexander Weiss, there are many more great hands on cooking experiences for children. I was able to attend a presentation of some of the Little Eko Chefs classes. I even got to taste the results and I loved it! They chose such fun hands on recipes. They were all delicious and easy enough for the kids to master.
Chocolate Making Class
Kids start with a fun video about the history of chocolate. Then kids get to see the cacao bean in various stages and learn various methods of grinding. Finally kids engage in chocolate mixing with all the corresponding ingredients and transfer into molds for a final chocolate product.
Tamale Making Class
In this fun class, kids will learn the process making both savory and sweet tamales in a corn husk or banana leaf before eating for lunch.
Sushi Class
Kids will learn the history of sushi. Then kids will be provided with ingredients and tools to properly fill and roll kids sushi. They use fun filling like strawberries that appeal to everyone.
Shaved Ice
This class will teach kids how to muddle fresh fruit and add shaved ice for a tropical delight.
Pasta Class
This class just might me my favorite. Kids will learn how to make their own pasta dough and turn it into spaghetti and raviolis. This class is fun and so eye opening for kids to see how things are made.
Mexican Tortilla Making Class
From start to finish, kids will learn the entire process of tortilla making, including how to grind corn by hand, turning it into tortilla dough, forming tortillas in the press. The tortillas were then filled and grilled for snacking!
Greenhouse Harvest Soup Cooking Class
Kids will choose from ingredients brought in from the nearby Greenhouse, including tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and herbs, to create garden fresh soup and salad!
Artisanal Ice Cream Making
Kids will create their own mix of fruits to blend and mix before pouring into the ice cream maker. I tried their recipe for cantaloupe sorbet and it was fabulous!
I would love for my kids to go to the amazing Little Eco Chef culinary kids program, while I lay out at the Generations Riviera Maya pool. Heck, I may even want to join them in the classes! It is no wonder they are pleased to launch Little Eko Chefs at the newly opened Generations Riviera Maya. I love that they are presenting foodie families with fun facts, interactive techniques, and easy to replicate recipes.
More on the Eko Kids Program
Little Eco Chefs is just one activity of the Eko Kids Club. This fabulous feature is included with your stay at Generations Riviera Maya. Little Eko Kids Club offers lots of supervised activities for kids aged 4 to 12 years. They do a great job offering educational activities with an environmentally-friendly twist.
The EkoKids Club area is huge and includes a movie area with comfy puffs, a craft station area, a cooking station, a library, gaming consoles, a ball pit and a playground area. For infants and toddlers, there is an amazing Baby Lounge. Basically I think my kids would be ready to go to the Eko Kids Club any time! As an added bonus, kids can even check toys out to bring back to their rooms.
More on the Generations Riviera Maya Resort by Karisma
Gourmet All Inclusive
The Generations Riviera Maya is a family friendly resort designed to provide guests with the finest gastronomic experiences, world-class service, and innovative programming. After staying there while covering the event, I can tell you, just think luxury. Then multiply that by 3. Just think gorgeous and then prepare to be amazed by all the decor details from fabulous light fixtures to beautiful plates.
Huge Suites
This upscale Gourmet Inclusive® vacation resort offers the largest suite accommodations in the Riviera Maya, and includes unlimited butler service. The accommodations start at 900 square feet. That was not a typo! Each suite has an amazing view of the ocean and pools. The ground floor is swim up so you can go out on your balcony and then swim over to the bar to get your self any kind of non-alcoholic or alcoholic beverage you desire! The 1-3 floors all have infinity pools as you step off the balcony. This is the greatest for parents so that if one kid is still sleeping you can take let the other go ahead and swim and still be able to supervise both. The only problem is you will not want to go home!
Amazing Customer Service
Did I mention the service? Not only do you have your own personal butler at your service, but everyone is so friendly! They have staff on hand to lead free stretching and yoga classes, karaoke, Spanish lessons, and more. When I got a massage, I went back a day later to leave a tip and the receptionist remembered my name! The service was impeccable.
Amazing Food
Since the Generations Riviera Maya is a Gourmet Inclusive® resort, you probably want to know about the food. Well, it was fabulous. All of the restaurants are sacked on top of each other with an amazing view of the beach from each one. The Chef Market was open for all meals with a buffet bar that was extensive to say the least and mini dessert buffet that was fabulous. It was not your average buffet. It was quality food and I am very picky. I was pleased with the freshness of the food (largely locally sourced from their greenhouses) and with the variety. There were prepared dishes and dishes you could have cooked right there for you. I could eat there all week happily but there are more amazing restaurants. The Wine Kitchen was my absolute favorite- exceptional out of this world gourmet food.
There was also the Habb which serves Mediterranean food and though I didn’t get to sample it, I can tell you the decor was absolutely beautiful! The Jade restaurant is Pan Asian and also just gorgeous to be in while you sample their Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and/ or Vietnamese. I loved the sushi there!
Conclusion
I would love to bring my whole family back someday because staying at the Generations Riviera Maya was such an relaxing, luxurious experience!
If you want more information, or more photos of the resort and rooms, visit karismahotels.com
Related Post: