Considered an exotic food, fish is easy to cook and low in calories. Depending on the region where it comes from, it is nourished by various ingredients that when combined, give rise to typical dishes.
From the Aztecs it had relevance in its diet, in addition to corn cakes, chili peppers and beans. In the work Historia general de las cosas de la Nueva España (1750), by Bernardino Sahagún, the elaboration of "casseroles" or chili-based stews, combined with fish or lobsters, is described.
Due to the geographic extension and climatic diversity of Mexico, its gastronomy is distinguished by regions. In the northern zone, the Baja California peninsula is distinguished by its marine dishes. From Ensenada you have to try the Puerto Nuevo style lobster, which owes its name to the city that created it. Also the fish tacos, through the abalone in oyster sauce to the turtle soup. The delicious stuffed clam, battered fish or shrimp, smoked marlin, breaded clams or natural rock oysters stand out from La Paz.
THE PACIFIC AREA
It is appreciated for its food based mainly on fish. In Sinaloa, its food is distinguished by mixing the north with the sea, thus the crushed shrimp and fish are born; the fillet with oysters; chiles stuffed with shrimp salad and grilled shrimp tacos with cheese. In Colima, although its cuisine is not one of the best known, it is full of virtues and flavor, where dishes such as ceviche from Colima parade; the michi broth (prepared with yellow carp or red snapper); the seafood soup and the marinated prawns. Nayarit is one of the places where the pre-Hispanic tradition is still present, not only in the making of masks, but also in food. There, you can enjoy oyster soup and enchiladas, shrimp tamales, zarandeado fish, tlaxtihuili or shrimp stew, and oyster sopes.
IN THE GULF ...
There, the food is not only linked to the colonial heritage, it also has great similarity with the Caribbean cuisine: seafood, bananas and coconut are the ingredients of the dishes that are presented on the tables of Tabasco, Tamaulipas and Veracruz. Although Tamaulipas food is characterized by rich cuts of meat, as in the rest of the northern states, in the coastal area there are taquitos of guachinango, stuffed crabs, squid in its ink, shrimp with chayotes and grilled tarpon. Veracruz also has a very varied food, but its most famous dish is the whole fish cooked with tomatoes, olives, capers, sweet spices and raisins; octopus, squid, shrimp, crabs in chilpachole are other dishes that you can find in abundance in this wonderful port. Tabasco is the reflection of the water and the soil where it is located, it has a varied cuisine, inherited from the Mayans and Chontales; Its stews include fish barbecue, Tabasco-style sea bass, pejelagarto in chirmol, fish post, in which the local vegetables and fruits are mixed.
IN THE SOUTH…
Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatán have defined their own gastronomy; the varied diet of the Mayans, the arrival of the Spanish and pirates, enriched their cuisine. In Campeche they take advantage of seafood to prepare panuchos, empanadas, tamales, tacos and dogfish bread (they also fill the x’catic chili with dogfish); the shrimp are cooked in coconut, natural, in pâté and with a cocktail. In Quintana Roo they prepare dogfish empanadas, snail ceviche, butter lobster, seafood cream, Tulum squid and tikinxik, which is a fish baked underground or prepared on the grill, seasoned with achiote.
IN NUTRITION ...
Rich in protein and vitamin B12, fish helps the nervous system. The iodine it contains helps the thyroid function better. Its fat prevents heart disease, so it is advisable to eat it once a week. Fatty acids contain a substance called Omega 3, which reduces the risk of thrombosis and helps improve blood flow.
The benefits of this food are many, as are the dishes that contain it. Mexico has made it the main ingredient of its gastronomy, prepared in broths, toasts, tamales or salads, it is part of a tradition that is not forgotten.
Editor of Unknown Mexico Guides.
