Mazatlan, Mexico
Having spent some time on the West Coast of Mexico I have realized again that this country is massive. While dishes may be similar, they are still very different from what I eaten in the Yucatan or Oaxaca.
Known as the shrimp capital, food tends to be a little less spicy here but there is a lot of great stewed meat.
I did not love everything; I suspect it may have been due to some of the restaurants that seemed to cater to foreigners. I need to spend more time with locals eating on the street and in the cenadurias like at La Copita.
But what I loved about Mazatlan was that many traditional Sinaloan foods are prepared in a caldo or large pot. It is then served in small bowls so people can serve themselves and I was able to do it at El Meson de los Laureanos.
This means you can try a lot of different things.
I’m in heaven.
1. Shrimp stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon.
I first had this at Pedro y Lola and I thought it was their genius creation but this is a dish typical to the area.
2. Aguachiles
A great shrimp cocktail where seafood is marinated in green chili and lime and then served with red onion and cucumber.
3. Posole
I have eaten this in a few places around Mexico, including Playa del Carmen. It is a soup made from hominy, which is related to corn and can include different meat with onions and cabbage. I liked it the most here in Mazatlan.
4. Drinks: jamaica, horchata, agua de cebada
I love juice in Mexico and these are found everywhere in large jugs on tables. Jamaica is made from boiled hibiscus flowers which are then mixed with sugar, lime and fruit and is like a natural Kool-Aid.
Horchata is made from rice but then mixed with sugar, vanilla and sometimes cinnamon. When I visited the Casanovas in Campeche they used coconut milk as well and it was heavenly.
While I had jamaica and horchata before, I had never heard of agua de cebada. It is made of barley and very similarly prepared as horchata and it turned off most people in our group until they tried mine.
5. Birria
A meat stew which is usually made with beef but it can also be made with goat or lamb. The meat is simmered for hours with onion and coriander and is perfect on a tortilla.
6. Ceviche
Seafood cooked by the acid of citrus, it is one of my favourite foods in Latin America. Learn how to make Mexican ceviche.
7. Lengua
This is tongue and I had to force Cailin O’Neil to try it, she claimed she did not want her food to taste her back. I first had this at a bus station in Colombia and it is incredibly tender meat and one of my favourite parts of the cow. If someone offers you lengua do not turn it down.
8. Chorreadas
A thicker tortilla that is fried and loaded with meat and onions and topped with cheese.
10. Tunas aka prickly pear cactus fruit
If you are in Mexico when these are in season grab them and eat them whole. Otherwise you can find them in jam and other preserves.
11. Shrimp Boat
No joke, they serve buckets of shrimp in Mazatlan with shrimp prepared every way you can imagine.
12. Shrimp quesadillas
I told you this was the shrimp capital.
I could name a million other shrimp dishes: cooked in tequila, beer…whatever you do make sure you try the shrimp in Mazatlan.
Disclosure: I was a guest of the Mexico Tourism Board. They did not request that I write a favourable review or harass waiters to recommend food that was typical of the region.
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I'm Ayngelina and in my mid-thirties. I left an amazing job, boyfriend, apartment and friends to find inspiration in Latin America. I'm creating a new life choosing what I want instead of what other people think I should do.
I would never turn down lengua, it’s so good!
This is why I badgered her into trying it, she had no idea what she would be missing out on.
It wasn’t horrible in taste… but just the idea of eating tongue grosses me out.. blech haha
Cailin recently posted..Travel Yourself’s Beginnings
Yum X a billion!!!!!!
My one-word reaction to this would have to be “nom.”
We have tunas in Chile, but they’re melon green – the color of the ones in your photos is beautiful!
Emily in Chile recently posted..Saturday in Santiago: Despensa Gourmet
I’ve also had them in Peru and they were much different, almost like kiwi if that makes sense.
Ayngelina, I thought what we had was pitaya not tunas?
Cailin recently posted..Travel Yourself’s Beginnings
I love this line: “she did not want her food to taste her back” HAHAHAHAHA.. but tongue is gooood! VERY TENDER when cooked in the right way! We use it a lot in Indonesian cooking. And I think I’ll feel like I’m in heaven if I go to Mazatlan. I LOVE SHRIMP!
Pauline recently posted..What I Pack When I Travel
Tongue is so tender I think most people would have no idea what they were eating; if it were served to them I’m sure they’d think it was tenderloin.
Since Tenerife was conquered by Spain at around the same time as Mexico it’s not surprising that many of these dishes are very similar to ones here, but I am intrigued by the prickly pears! You eat them whole? A friend of my son promised to bring me some this week, and I laughed & said I’d never touched one without getting a spine in my fingers. He told me his mom can get the spines out really easily, and he’ll show me how! They grow wild here, so I’m thinking good, free source of Vitamin C!
Linda recently posted..The Myth of the Tree which had the Power to Move Roads
They are delicious, I had my first one while hiking in Colca Canyon well that was before I turned around and gave up on hiking. But one of the guys with us took out his knife and just cut it off the cactus. You don’t eat the outside but the inside is delicious.
It looks like dining out in Mazatlan is a unique experience. The next time I visit California, I will have to combine a trip to Mexico.
Christine recently posted..Cologne from the "Wild Side"
I tried Lengua for the first time last year, with some hesitation, but it really is excellent! Thanks for making me hungry with all this food.
Nick from LetsBeWild recently posted..Tingana: Adventures in the High Jungle of Peru
Yum! I would love to try all of the shrimp dishes on here!
Ali recently posted..What I Learned From My Round the World Trip
I’m not quite sure why I decided to read this at lunchtime. Bad decision #1 for today. I just have to say, I wish I was on that shrimp boat right now. {sigh}
Leah Travels recently posted..It’s my Birthday and I’ll Write What I Want to
This all looks SO good – I’ve never heard of some of these dishes. You had me at stewed meat, anyway =)
Andrea recently posted..Shanghai and Beijing: Ancient, Ultramodern, Quirky (Photo Essay)
I’ll take everything with shrimp including the ceviche! mMmm..
Kieu recently posted..GQ trippin’ Turns 1 Year Old!
Yum yum yum is all I can say! Everything looks scrumptious indeed
Hayley recently posted..Aussie Bite: Koala Spotting on Magnetic Island
The shrimp stuffed with cheese looks delicious. I agree. You gotta eat shrimp when in Mexico.
Christy recently posted..Around the World Interview Visits Jordan!
As always, you’re the best person for spotting good food.
I do hate restaurants here who alter their dishes because they’re afraid it might be too hot for foreigners.
“Sinoloan” food as in the same Sinoloa as the drug cartel?