“The ingredients are the most important, and there are five of them: shrimp, red onion, cucumbers, chiltepín, and lemons. These last two are blended to make a sauce with which the shrimp is bathed. Finally, the onion slices are placed,” says Miguel Taniyama, chef and founder of the El Clan Taniyama Restaurant, as well as the creator of the largest aguachile in the world.
But, before continuing, where does aguachile come from, and who invented it? According to data from chef Omar Serrano of the Avika Cocina Nikkei restaurant, the origin of the dish is in pre-Hispanic times, in the mountains, when its inhabitants prepared crushed meat with chiltepin chili, an essential ingredient in all Sinaloan cuisine. “From the mountains to the sea, the dish was modified, and instead of meat, shrimp was added, and it was not cooked; it was prepared only with lemon and chili. The idea was to eat something fresh,” explains Chef Omar.
It’s not an overstatement to say that Sinaloa is “the world aguachile capital,” which is why its ingredients and preparation are essential. “First, there is the Sinaloa shrimp, which comes from the Pacific,” explains chef Miguel Taniyama. “Its texture is crunchy but soft simultaneously, and small shrimp are ideal for aguachile. “Mexican lemons have the right acidity not to spoil it.” Next comes the chiltepín, a wild species that grows in the mountains. It is round, small, and very spicy; hence the mastery of whoever prepares aguachile to balance all the flavors.
Most seafood restaurants in Sinaloa and Mexico
serve this iconic dish, but you can also try new
versions of the traditional recipe: the evolution of
aguachile. Many chefs achieve it by mixing ingredients,
techniques, or other seafood, like chef Andrea
Lizárraga does at the Nao Kychen Bar restaurant. She
prepares it with scallops, serrano chili sauce, herbs,
and yuzu gelée and accompanies it with avocado and
kale puree. Some add mango or prepare aguachile
with oysters, parsley, and serrano chili. There will
always be endless options to suit every taste, but
traditional aguachile is the ultimate symbol of
Sinaloan gastronomy.
And receive exclusive information to travel through Mexico in style!
