The Flavor Teller has lived in Mexico for over 10 years. She is passionate about Mexican food and culture. Here are the stories she finds along the way

The Mazatlan Cookbook Club

9/29/2020

Are you having fun in the kitchen these days? Chances are what may have once been a creative outlet has become more of a chore. What if you could submerge yourself in traditional Sinaloan cuisine, learn about local ingredients and finally deliver those delicacies you’ve always wondered how to make?

Not being able to host food tours for several months, has left a hole in my heart and it has only confirmed that people coming together over food have a tremendous healing power.
Thankfully many of us have found a way to keep calm, keep cooking and keep sharing recipes. This got me thinking… why not create a community around Mazatlan’s traditional food? The silver lining in this scary time, is that it’s brought out the best in our community and I’m hoping we can find ways to support each other beyond words on a screen.

The Mazatlan Cookbook Club

There are many ways you can build a community, but in times like these we all want to learn new things, see the world through different eyes and experience food from a unique perspective. What better way to do this than through a cookbook club? Think of it as a book club combined with a (virtual) dinner with friends. The Mazatlan cookbook club is all about discovering specialties that Mazatlan and Sinaloa have to offer. You will be able to share your thoughts and experiences with other people.

I will be using recipes from four traditional cookbooks that I believe are essential for a Sinaloa home. However Sinaloan cookbooks are hard to find and most are out of print. I have to give a big shout-out to Jaime Felix from the Conservatory of Mexican Gastronomic Culture, who was kind enough to share recipes from his private collection. In the history of Mexican cookbooks, the ‘classic canon’ has always implied a central and southern Mexico bias. That has left us with a limited recipe bank and omitted the delicious food from Sinaloa.

Let’s change that, starting now!

The majority of the recipes I will use come from the ‘bible of Sinaloa cuisine’: a cookbook named “Mis recetas de cocina” by doña Cuca Cardenas. Who is doña (translation: mrs.) Cuca Cardenas and why is she so famous? She has made it her life’s mission to put together Sinaloa’s recipes in one cookbook “Mis recetas de cocina”. And she has been able to assemble an amazing collection. The first edition of her cookbook was published in 1980 (it’s older than me!) and it’s been a wedding gift for many newlyweds in Sinaloa for decades.

I met doña Cuca Cardenas last year at the UNESCO Creative Cities project when we interviewed the culinary godfathers (and godmothers) of Sinaloa cuisine. She is in her eighties, but still happy to share her story and her passion for food.

Here’s what you can expect from the Flavor Teller:

Starting next week, I will be sharing and cooking one recipe every week from one of these cookbooks. I will post a blog with the recipe and a fun background story here. If you want to be with me in spirit, please cook along. The final product will be shared on the Flavor Teller website and Flavor Teller Instagram page.
You’ll get to know more about the local ingredients, preparation techniques and the history of each dish so you can become a more confident cook. Tell your friends to join too! Share your creations and tag Flavor Teller on Facebook or Instagram using our handle @flavortellerexperience and using #mazatlancookbookclub.

I’m not a chef or a food blogger and that’s part of the fun of this. We’re going to figure it out together and I’ll be available to answer your questions as you cook your way through the recipes. If you can’t find a specific ingredient, just let me know and I’ll give you alternatives.
Let’s get started! And please know that when we can get together in person again (because that day will indeed come), we’ll be putting together a cookbook club that we can all participate in face-to-face, from the comfort of our friends’ homes or from wherever we like.

Happy cooking, Flavor Teller fans!

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Viva Mexico! - Chiles en Nogada

9/15/2020

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Life is about eating the seasons. Sometimes you have to take advantage of a specialty, otherwise it will be gone until next year. Think mango season, think Noche de Muertos bread or think Mexico’s Independence Day specialty ‘Chiles en nogada’ or poblano peppers in walnut sauce. Every September you can find them in restaurants or instead you can make it yourself.
What are ‘Chiles en nogada’ and why are they only available around September 15th? And what’s the deal with the walnut sauce; that doesn’t sound very Mexican at all.
‘Chiles en nogada’ are stuffed poblano peppers with a minced meat filling and walnut cream sauce. It is topped with pomegranate seeds and parsley. The history of this dish is linked to Mexico’s struggle for independence. This started on September 15th 1810 with the ‘Cry for Independence’ (‘El Grito’) by the priest Miguel Hidalgo and it ended in 1821 when General Agustin de Iturbide was proclaimed the first president of Mexico. The story goes that General Iturbide triumphantly visited the city of Puebla. To honor his presence the nuns of the Santa Monica monastery, created this dish resembling the colors of the Mexican flag. They used what they had at hand: walnuts and pomegranates. Until this day it’s the most traditional dish you can eat on September 15th.
You might think this is an impossibly difficult dish to create yourself (I thought so!). But using the traditional Sinaloa cookbook ‘Mis recetas de cocina’ by Doña Cuca Cardenas made me realize it really isn’t. Now before we dive into the details, you should know one thing. When you talk about traditional Mexican cuisine there is no such thing as the ‘original’ recipe. There are many (many!!!) variations on the theme, with every region, city or family having their unique ingredients. So my point is: feel free to be creative. If you can’t find a certain ingredient, substitute it with a similar option.

CHILES EN NOGADA
12 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled and seeds removed
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup onion, finely diced
¼ kg/ ½ lb ground pork
¼ kg / ½ lb ground beef
1 cup diced tomato
1 tsp sugar
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 pear, peeled and diced
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup dried fruit, diced (peach/apricot)
1 cup almonds, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:
Place the poblano peppers under a broiler or directly on a gas heater. Char the peppers until black, then place them in a container with lid or a plastic bag. Leave for about 15 minutes, remove the skins under running water. Make an incision on one side of the pepper and remove the seeds. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion and the garlic, then add the ground pork and beef. Add a pinch of salt and sauté until browned. Then incorporate the tomato and sugar and mix well. You might have to add some water. Leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes. Now add the apple and the pear and simmer for another 5 minutes. Finally add the raisins, candied fruit and chopped almonds and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Fill the poblano peppers with the meat and place them on a serving dish. Cover with the walnut sauce (recipe below).

WALNUT SAUCE
200g / 7 oz. walnuts, peeled
3 tbsp. sugar
150g / 5 oz. goat cheese, cream cheese or feta
½ - 1 cup milk or sour cream
4 tbsp. parsley, finely diced
1 ½ cup pomegranate seeds

PREPARATION:
Soak the walnuts in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove the water and peel off the skins. Place the walnuts in a bowl and cover them with milk. Leave to rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
Discard the milk and place the walnuts in a blender or food processor. Add the goat cheese, sugar, a pinch of salt and enough milk to get a smooth consistency. Cover the stuffed poblano pepper with the walnut sauce and dress with pomegranate seeds and parsley. ‘Chiles en nogada’ are served room temperature or cold.

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Spice it up! - Mexican pickled peppers

5/11/2020

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Think of the ultimate must-have in a Mexican fridge and you will always find pickled peppers. They are available in cans at any grocery store, but many restaurants create their own home-made ‘Chiles en vinagre’ as appetizers. If you are not a spicy daredevil, you can eat the pickled carrots which are a real treat. Did you know that it’s super easy to make your own Mexican pickled peppers? Time to give it a try!

Ingredients

1 pound jalapeño chilies
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
½ onion, diced in big cubes
6 garlic cloves
1 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bay leaves
¾ tsp thyme
¾ tsp oregano
½ tablespoon pepper corns
2 cups water
Salt to taste
2 glass jars with lid, cleaned and desinfected

Preparation

Prepare the ingredients in the list above. The preparation process is quick.
Heat the oil in a large non-aluminum skillet
Add the carrots and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Make sure to not overcook them, so they still have some crunch
Add the jalapeños, garlic and onion. Fry for another 7 minutes.
Lastly add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes.
Divide between the two glass pots, cover and leave to cool down, place in the refrigerator.
Pickled peppers keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Tips

You can use whole jalapeños instead of sliced ones. Make sure to put a small incision on the side before frying
If you want, you can add different chilies or vegetables like zucchini or mushrooms

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Loncheria Zambrano - 80 years feeding local families

5/11/2020

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Walking into the unassuming white-tiled shop, it does not immediately reveal what the specialty is. Maybe the earless pig perched on top of the glass counter gives a clue: everything on the menu (the tortas, the tostadas and the tacos) has pork. The owner Ernesto greets his customers with a wide smile, “Hola Buenos dias…. Que gusto verlos… bienvenidos!! (Hi good morning, it’s wonderful to see you, welcome!)

The history of Mazatlan’s oldest sandwich shop goes back to the early 1940’s when Mazatlan had only had 40.000 inhabitants. The Zambrano brothers, Jose Luis and Jose Guadalupe, arrived from Guadalajara with a novel idea to sell ‘Tortas Ahogadas’. This Guadalajara delicacy consists of a pork sandwich which is soaked in a spicy tomato sauce. Their original shop was called ‘Tortería Jalisco´, referring to their home state. It was located in front of the Pino Suarez market where nowadays you can find the Parisina fabric store. The pork sandwiches were a huge success, but the Zambrano brothers had to make slight adjustment to the original recipe; instead of soaking the sandwiches, locals preferred the tomato sauce on the side. Quarrels between the brothers ruined the original shop and they decided to each open their own business. In 1966 Jose Guadalupe opened his shop on 21-de-Marzo Street and named it ‘Loncheria Zambrano’, a Spanish version on the English word ‘lunch’. After 50 years they moved around the corner to the current location on Aquiles Serdan street in 2016. The owner and son-in-law of Jose Guadalupe, Ernesto was worried that they would lose customers, but it was quite the contrary. The proximity to the Pino Suarez market and new air-conditioned lunch room have made it the preferred spot for workers to chill and refuel.
So what makes Zambrano’s sandwiches so special? Why are they loved by generation after generation? It all starts with the bread. In Jalisco ‘Tortas Ahogadas’ are made with birote, a crunchy baguette-style bun. The Zambrano brothers quickly realized that Mazatlan’s humid climate did not favor baking this type of bread. However they take pride in having the largest ‘teleras’, flat oval-shaped buns, which are custom-made at a local bakery. The sliced pork filling is made with piglet and makes a succulent combination together with the cream and melted cheese. Topped off with shredded cabbage, onion and tomato, it’s placed on the hot griddle making it crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. If you like it hot, you can add the spicy tomato sauce or pickled chili.

Hungry locals come to satisfy their appetite for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Loncheria Zambrano is open all day from 8.30 a.m. – 9.30 p.m., but their busiest hours are between 1 – 4 p.m. Normally two thirds of their customers eat at the lunch room and the rest ask for it to-go. But the last few weeks this has inversed and the majority ask for takeaway.

How has Loncheria Zambrano been coping with the Coronavirus restrictions? Owner Ernesto puts it frankly, “We have been working with face masks and plastic gloves, maintaining the social distancing restrictions. We haven’t considered closing. What would I do if I stay at home? We may have less customers, but at least enough to pay the staff. The majority of my employees are single moms and primary wage earners. If I close the shop, they won’t have money to feed their families. Here at Loncheria Zambrano we are one big family and it’s my duty to take care of them. We have weathered other storms, like hurricane Olivia in 1974 and the financial crash in 2008 , and I’m confident we will make it through now."

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Mouth-watering Mexican recipe: Salsa Roja

3/27/2020

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If you say Mexican cuisine, you say spicy salsas. There is an infinite variety, depending on the region and the availability of fresh ingredients. But there is one salsa that is famous above all: Red tomato salsa or “Salsa Roja”. It’s time to discover how easy it is to make a healthy home-made salsa, using fresh ingredients that are available everywhere. Now not everybody likes it HOT, so feel free to adjust the spice level to your personal preference.

Ingredients

1-3 serrano chilies
2-3 Roma tomatoes
1 clove garlic
¼ onion
Fresh cilantro
Lime juice
Salt to taste

Preparation

Wash the chilies, tomatoes and cilantro. Peel the garlic and onion
Place the chilies, tomatoes, garlic and onion in a hot dry skillet
Grill the vegetables until charred and blackened.
Add the garlic and a pinch of salt to the Mexican mortar and pestle or “molcajete”. Grind into a smooth paste
Add the chilies and grind. You can remove the seeds to make the salsa less spicy.
Now you need some elbow grease to grind up the grilled onion. You can grind it until it has a smooth consistency or leave it a bit chunky. It’s up to you!
Add the grilled tomatoes, one at a time. Make sure to cut them roughly before grinding it, otherwise you might get flying tomatoes in your kitchen.
Finally you will add a pinch of cilantro, lime juice and salt to taste. If you don’t like cilantro, you can leave it out altogether.
If you don’t have a Mexican mortar and pestle, don’t worry. You can use a blender to grind the ingredients. The cilantro is added as a final touch.
You can use the molcajete as a serving bowl or transfer to a serving dish. You can keep the Salsa Roja in the fridge for up to a week.

Tips

If you can’t find serrano chilies, you can also use jalapeño or habanero. The salsa will taste slightly different: feel free to experiment
To make a Salsa Verde, replace the Roma tomatoes with “tomatillo” green tomato. Make sure to remove the husk before grilling them.
You can serve Salsa Roja with cheese quesadillas, fried eggs or beef and chicken dishes. Or simply with some tortilla chips! Que rico!

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The beating heart of mister Tucan

3/20/2020

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Published in the Pacific Pearl February 2020 issue

Have you ever felt overheated after a day on the beach? Have you ever eaten too much food and felt indigestion? Have you ever had a rough night after too many tequilas? Did you know locals have a cure for all these ailments. The answer might surprise you: they drink a fermented corn beverage called ‘Tejuino’ (Tay-hoEE-No). And no... it’s not going to make you drunk.

When you think of fermented food and drinks, the first things that comes to mind are probably German Sauerkraut, Korean Kimchi or Eastern European Keffir. The idea of fermenting food and drink has existed for thousands of years as a way of preserving food and its nutrients. Most cultures around the world have some form of fermented drinks, including Mexico. In the arid highlands of central Mexico you can find a fermented agave beverage called Pulque. On the Pacific coast in Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jalisco you can find Tejuino.

The name Tejuino comes from the native Náhuatl word tequin which means heart beat. In former days this beverage was used for sacred rituals. Nowadays there are only few artisans who continue this ancient tradition, with fascinating nicknames like El Tucán, El Perico or El Champion.

Meet Sergio Maestre Villarreal, also known as El Tucán. He is the third generation of Tejuino makers and he’s proud to mention that his kids, the fourth generation, are ready to take over. Originally from Jalisco state mister Tucán arrived to Mazatlan in the 1970’s when he met his wife. They have been successfully making Tejuino ever since. You can find his shop on Aquiles Serdan street downtown or around the Juan Carrasco market. Making Tejuino isn’t an easy job. The day starts early to prepare the ingredients to sell to thirsty customers and in the afternoon the next batch has to be prepared.

What is the secret for a good Tejuino? Mister Tucán says it all starts with the basic ingredients. “First I put to soak the dry white corn in water with lime stone for three days, changing the water daily. Once the corn bursts open, I grind it into masa corn dough. Then I cook the corn dough with water for about two hours. I add raw canesugar and salt to this mixture. It is very important during this process to keep stirring to avoid lumps. I strain this corn custard and leave it to rest in closed containers for several days. In summertime it takes 10 days to ferment and in wintertime up to 14 days. I only make a limited amount of Tejuino per day. So if I sell out today, customers have to wait until tomorrow.”

Once the Tejuino corn custard is ready, El Tucán prepares the beverage with a pinch of salt, sodium bicarbonate, lime juice and shaved ice. But the mixture is not exactly the same for every customer. “If a client is complaining about a head ache, I add more salt and lime juice. If a client has an upset stomach, I add more sodium bicarbonate. I’m like a doctor curing illnesses!” The preparation is a wonderful mixology-like show where the ingredients are incorporated until it has the perfect consistency. If you’re ready to open your heart to Mexico´s traditional flavors, Tejuino should be on your must-drink list in Mazatlan!

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Survival guide for seafood and fish

3/20/2020

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Published in the Pacific Pearl January 2020 issue

Everybody who comes to Mazatlan wants to try our local fresh seafood and fish. A trip to the “Pearl of the Pacific” isn’t complete if you haven’t had a ceviche and a cold Pacifico beer. If you’ve been to Mazatlan a couple of times, you have probably discovered which seafood flavors you like and dislike (that’s ok, I’m not judging!). But what happens if you go to a local Marisquería (seafood restaurant), there is no English menu and the waiters only speak Spanish? Have you ever wondered about the options on the menu that you have no clue what they are? And because you don’t know what they are, you never order it? Flavor Teller comes to the rescue to break through those language barriers and decipher the local favorites.

Chicharron de pescado

Chicharron in any other situation means pork rinds. However on the menu of a seafood restaurant in Mazatlan, it refers to crunchy fried fish chunks. The story goes that Chicharron de Pescado was brought in by Peruvian sailors who arrived to the port in the 1930’s. You could easily confuse this dish with “Fish and chips”, but the cubes of white fish (sole or pufferfish) only have a flour coating before being fried. So there’s no egg or beer batter. You can order it as a main course, but it’s also the perfect appetizer to share.

Orden de Jaiba

This overlooked appetizer is very simple, yet that is its strength. It’s boiled crab meat that’s shredded and served with chopped red onion and cucumber. Then the fun starts: you assemble your own tostadas! What do you do? Get a Tostada (crunchy tortilla), cover it with mayonnaise and put a spoonful of jaiba, onion and cucumber on top. It’s a very mild flavor and kids love it (and adults too!).

Tacos gobernador

You shouldn’t miss Tacos gobernador, because this scrumptious shrimp dish has a flavorful history. It’s common knowledge that Tacos gobernador were invented at Los Arcos restaurant back in the early 2000’s. The Sinaloa state governor came to Mazatlan and the restaurant owner wanted to impress his distinguished customer. His chef creates a shrimp taco with bell pepper, onion and melted Chihuahua cheese. The governor loved this nameless dish so much, that it was baptized Governor tacos.

Pescado Zarandeado

If you thought barbecuing was just for meat, you haven’t tried Pescado Zarandeado on the Mexican west coast. A snapper is split in half from head to tail and place open-faced on a special grill rack. It’s marinated with a lime, garlic, mayonnaise and mustard mixture and topped with onion, bell pepper and tomatoe. Then it’s grilled over a charcoal fire for about 15 minutes. Pescado Zarandeado is the perfect meal to share as a main course and you can choose the size of the fish depending on your group size. Its price is stated per kilo.

Aguachile

The flavor sensation of this spicy shrimp ceviche is worth a try, especially if you like it hot. The origins of aguachile are disputed between Culiacan and Mazatlan. It is prepared by butterflying raw shrimp and marinating in a mix of Chiltepin chili and lime juice. It is served with slices of cucumber and onion. The key for a good Aguachile is real fresh shrimp and a short marinating time, because otherwise the shrimp will become tough. No worries if your spice tolerance level isn’t very high; just ask for fewer chilis to be added.

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How to cook Mexican food without a recipe (and survive!)

3/20/2020

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Published in the Pacific Pearl December 2019 issue

Have you been inside a Mexican kitchen? Have you ever seen how Mexican mothers and grandmothers create everyday food like refried beans, red rice, Mexican meatballs or home-made flour tortillas? If you’re lucky enough to see the magic in action, then you might notice one major difference with your own kitchen: nobody uses a recipe book (GASP!).

My own story with Mexican food started in the early 2000’s when I met my Mexican husband in The Netherlands, my home-country. He created these wonderful dishes that were unfamiliar to me: Tinga de Pollo, Cochinita Pibil and Rajas poblanas. Everything I tried was scrumptious and the vibrant colors of the food mesmerized me. It couldn’t have been more different from Dutch food. Mexican food was the way to my heart and for the last 15 years I can proudly call Mazatlan my home town.

The two wedding gifts that I received from my mother-in-law upon arrival to Mexico were not what I expected. I got a used lava-stone Molcajete and a pressure cooker. Not the fancy electric Instant Pot, but the good old “it-might-blow-up-in-your-face” pressure cooker. Her welcoming message with these gifts was: “Now that you’re marrying my son, you better cook him good food.” Right…. No pressure at all! Much later I realized that receiving a seasoned Molcajete is a big deal, because it’s usually passed on from mother to daughter.

But since I’m always game for a challenge, I didn’t blink and took up the dare. However where to start? My mother-in-law was kind enough to share some of her recipes with me, so I could at least put something decent on the table. Here I was with my notebook and pen, ready to scribble down all the culinary wisdom. But was I in for a surprise: Mexican mothers-in-law don’t use teaspoon, tablespoon or cup-sizes to prepare their dishes. So I cut short my Mexican cookbook idea and realized that in order to learn, I had to get my hands dirty and learn by doing!

The basics turned out to be pretty easy: how to use a pressure cooker safely, how to make boiled beans and chicken stock (using chicken feet!) from scratch, how to make red rice and Rajas poblanas and all those recipes I never thought I would master. Feeding my hungry (and growing) family was the best way to keep practicing these cooking skills.

But after some time another challenge was thrown at me. The holiday season calls for more labor-intensive dishes like Cuete Mechado, Lomo de cerdo adobado, tamales or Pozole. I’m a huge fan of Pozole, devouring large portions whenever I get a chance. However I had never thought about what goes into a proper Pozole. In essence its key ingredients are hominy corn, dried Ancho and Guajillo chilies and pork. To my surprise it isn’t just plain pork meat. In order to make a mouthwatering and authentic Pozole you need to use pig’s head or pig’s feet. So off we went to the market where my mother-in-law ordered half a pig’s head. Back at home she expertly prepped the pig’s head and cooked it in a large pot together with the other ingredients. If you’re not making Pozole enough to feed an orphanage, then it’s not worth the work. That night I savored the Pozole, despite knowing there was pig’s head in there and decided that some things are best left to the professionals.

Now if you ask me if I never use any recipes when cooking Mexican food? The truth is sometimes I do, but learning to cook with my mother-in-law has helped me become more confident in my own cooking skills. So what if I put three tomatoes instead of two in my stew, sometimes my Mexican meatballs taste a bit more like cumin and sometimes more like garlic. Life isn’t always the same, just as cooking Mexican food. The beauty lies in realizing that’s ok.

[NEW!!! Join the hands-on Mexican Kitchen experience with Flavor Teller and learn from a traditional cook how to create local dishes from scratch. For more information and bookings contact me at flavorteller@gmail.com.]

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Mazatlan - a story of Mexico's shrimp capital

3/20/2020

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Published in the Pacific Pearl November 2019 issue

Want to know what Mazatlan is all about? Above anything it’s a city to be savored, not just to be seen. The first thing that comes to mind when you’re talking about Mazatlan’s culinary scene is shrimp. But what goes on behind the scenes of this million dollar industry and why is it the perfect time to eat shrimp now?

Back in the 19th century Mazatlan was a bustling cosmopolitan mining and trading city with connections to the US, Europe and South America. Fisheries weren’t an important economic activity, but this changed drastically after the Mexican Revolution in the second decade of the 20th century. Scared away by the insecurity, many of the foreign traders sold their businesses and left the country. This left the local economy in ruins, with little hope for recovery. However locals got a lucky break when in the 1930’s a Japanese delegation suggested that they should consider shrimp fishing. Until then shrimp was seen as a by-product (can you believe it!). This was the birth of Mazatlan as shrimping city. Fisheries, shrimp and tuna mainly, has been the engine of the local economy during the 20th century. Did you know that shrimp you eat at the restaurant can have different sources? That’s right: even though it is all ‘local’ shrimp, the way it’s caught can be different.

The first type is shrimp caught by small fishing boats (or pangas in Spanish) with round nets that are thrown out in the sea. The coastal fishermen can only catch shrimp close to shore or in the estuary areas. Shrimp caught by the coastal fishermen is referred to as ‘camaron de estero’. To prevent over-fishing the Mexican government has imposed seasonal bans. You can find ‘camaron de estero’ between late September and March and it’s perfect for a shrimp ceviche or spicy Aguachile.

The second type is shrimp caught by the shrimp trawlers (or barcos camaroneros). These ships sail for three weeks and catch their shrimp at sea. The shrimp is processed on the ship and flash-frozen in batches. A common measurement is the ‘marqueta’ which is four pounds of frozen shrimp selected by its size. The letter U with a number indicates how many shrimp fit in a pound. So the lower the number, the larger the shrimp: for example there are 12 shrimp size U-12 in a pound (or 48 in a marqueta). If you have to feed many, this is a great (and less expensive) option to buy shrimp. Also subject to seasonal fishing bans, you can find high-sea shrimp between October and April. These larger shrimp are perfect to prepare as beer-battered, coconut or bacon-wrapped shrimp.

The third variety is shrimp from the shrimp farms. You might have seen the large shrimp ponds when landing at Mazatlan airport. It’s the fastest growing shrimp industry because it’s not subject to fishing bans. Its yearly production almost triples coastal and high-sea shrimping production combined. You can find farmed shrimp (or ‘camaron de granja’) all year round and it’s mostly consumed as ceviche, because it doesn’t have a strong fish flavor. Farmed shrimp is usually less expensive than high-sea or estuary shrimp.
Feeling hungry already? Looks like it’s time to find the nearest sea-food restaurant (or ‘marisqueria) and devour every scrumptious shrimp option on the menu. If you’re feeling inspired to prepare your own shrimp, make sure to visit ‘Las Changueras’ shrimp market where you can find the largest variety of shrimp in Mazatlan.

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How to shop like a local for Mexican kitchen tools

3/20/2020

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Published in the Pacific Pearl October 2019 issue

The best part of living in Mazatlan is eating amazing street food and buying fresh produce year-round. And if local food is something you’re crazy about (like me!), then you’ll soon ask the question: How can I make it myself? And where do I get the tools to prepare these dishes? Don’t go looking in fancy department stores or supermarkets. You’ll find better quality cooking tools for less at the local hardware store (‘ferreteria’)! Let the shopping begin…..

Tortilla griddle, tortilla press and baskets

A meal without tortilla isn’t a meal, so must-have tools in any Mexican household are the tortilla press (‘prensa de tortilla’), the tortilla griddle (‘comal’) and tortilla baskets. If you want to make tortillas from scratch, buy fresh corn dough (‘masa’) and flatten a small ball of ‘masa’ between two plastic sheets on the tortilla press. Then the ‘comal’ comes into action: preheat the comal on a gas stove and carefully place the uncooked tortilla onto the hot ‘comal’ without any oil or butter. Grill for 1-2 minutes and flip over. Once the tortilla is ready, you place it on a fabric napkin in the tortilla basket. Make sure to cover the tortillas well, because they’re best served hot. Watch out to not burn your fingers! You can also use the ‘comal’ to char peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onion for a spicy salsa, leading us to another essential tool: the molcajete…

Molcajetes

The best salsas are made from scratch in a Mexican mortar (‘molcajete’). Once you’ve tried a home-made Salsa Roja or Guacamole, you’ll never go back to canned salsas. Lava stone or clay; it doesn’t matter as long as you season your ‘molcajete’ before its first use. How do you season a molcajete? You put a handful of dry rice into the lava stone ‘molcajete’ and grind until the rice becomes grey. Discard the rice and add another handful of dry rice. Repeat the grinding process until the rice doesn’t turn grey anymore (heads-up: it will take some elbow grease). The last step is to grind a clove of fresh garlic in the ‘molcajete’ to cover the whole inside of the bowl. Leave to rest for a night and then rinse with lukewarm water. From this moment onwards never ever (!) use soap in your ‘molcajete’.

Wood slice cutting board

The essential equipment for any taquero is a sturdy cutting board, used to chop up the grilled beef. Mostly it’s so worn-out it is almost hollow (imagine how many tacos were prepped there?). You can buy pre-cut and pre-sanded wood slices at the local hardware store. Use a soft cloth rub mineral or vegetable oil into the wood. Allow your wood slice to dry and repeat process 3-4 times as needed.

Where can I buy it?

Getting excited to go and stock up on these tools? You’ll be able to find these and many more at the ‘ferreterias’ downtown. Make sure to also look for carved wooden spoons, charcoal grills, gourd water bottles (‘jicaras de bule’), barbecue racks to make grilled fish (‘pescado zarandeado’), and even camping cots (‘catres’) and machetes.
Here are some popular shops:

Casa del Campesino - Av. Zaragoza 1104, Centro Mazatlan; telephone 669 981 6699, open daily from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Ferreteria La Cananea – Av. Juan Carrasco 727, telephone 669 981 5506
Ferreteria Casa Carvajal – Av. Juan Carrasco 400, Centro, telephone: 669 982 0189

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