SINALOA
CULINARY THUMBNAIL
Here are the most notable characteristics of this state's cuisine:
- seafood, especially shrimp (camarón)
- ranching provides fresh meat
TRADITIONAL DISHES TO LOOK FOR
- Mochomos -- dried meat that's roasted, macerated and fried, and seasoned only with salt and onion
Shrimp tostadas, tostadas de ceviche de camarón, as served by Tacos Sinaloa, a taco truck, in Oakland, California; image courtesy of Ernesto Andrade
SEAFOOD
- Tamales de camarón (coastal) -- shrimp tamales containing peas, wrapped in corn shucks
- Pescado Ahumado -- smoked fish using laurel leaves
- Caldo Sudador -- fish soup based on porgy (pargo)
FRUITS
- Mango -- more than 30 varieties of mango in Sinaloa
- Empanadas de fruta -- "pies" with fillings of guava (guayaba), pumpkin (calabaza), pineapple (piña) and other fruits
CHEESE
- Quesos Caseros de Mocorito -- especially famous cheeses made in the town of Mocorito
TRADITIONAL ALCOHOLIC DRINK
- Damiana -- fermented drink using the plant called Damiana, probably the daisylike Bigelovia veneta
Information on this page based on material presented in Gastronomía: Atlas cultural de México, 1988, an extensive and well illustrated work by various authors, published by the Secretaría del Educación Pública, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia in Mexico City.