Sinaloan cuisine: what it is, seafood and aguachiles

What is it?

Sinaloan cuisine is the gastronomic tradition of the state of Sinaloa, in north-western Mexico on the Sea of Cortez, and is considered the Mexican capital of aguachiles, ceviches and raw seafood. It combines the fishing richness of the Pacific with the ranching tradition of the sierra and the most productive agricultural valleys in the country. Its emblematic dishes include prawn aguachile (green, red and black), chilorio (shredded pork in adobo), marlin machaca, gobernador tacos, sierra ceviche, scallops and chocolate clams. They are consumed daily in seafood eateries of Mazatlán, Culiacán and Los Mochis, and are served with well-chilled Pacífico beer throughout the year, reaching their maximum popularity during the Mazatlán Carnival in February.

Origin and history

Sinaloan cuisine was originally nourished by the Cahíta, Mayo and Tahue peoples, expert fishers and farmers of maize and bean on the coasts and the sierra. The Spanish conquest introduced pork, ranching and the cultivation of chickpea, tomato and sugar cane in the fertile valleys of El Fuerte, Culiacán and Mocorito. According to Larousse Cocina, chilorio originated in Mocorito at the start of the twentieth century as a method of preserving pork: the meat was cooked in its own fat with dried chillies and kept in tins or jars. The aguachile evolved from the ancient pre-Hispanic ceviche, in which prawns were 'cooked' in water with crushed chiltepín chilli. The modernisation of the aguachile, with lime, chiltepín or serrano chilli and cucumber, became established in the seafood eateries of Culiacán and Mazatlán in the second half of the twentieth century. Industrial prawn fishing made Sinaloa the leading national producer of this crustacean, and México Desconocido describes the historical importance of the port of Mazatlán as a trade route with Asia and South America.

Characteristic ingredients

Seafood is the undisputed star of Sinaloa. Prawn is consumed raw in aguachile, cold in ceviche, fried in gobernador tacos and a la diabla. The scallop, the chocolate clam and the pata de mula clam are served raw with lime and Maggi sauce. Pacific sierra is used for ceviches, machaca and zarandeada over the fire. Marlin and tuna are smoked or dried. Dried chiltepín is the star chilli; dried colorado chilli and ancho form the base of chilorio. The black salsa based on morita chilli or Maggi (Worcestershire) accompanies black aguachiles. Maize is consumed in tortillas, totopos and grilled corn; the light bean of the area is cooked with lard. Tomatillo and raw cucumber provide freshness. Pacífico beer, made in Mazatlán since 1900, is the emblematic drink. The region also produces grapes, mangoes and tomatoes for export. Mocorito has been a gastronomic Magical Town since 2015 thanks to chilorio.

Cultural significance

Sinaloan cuisine is a national reference for Mexican seafood cooking and a tourism driver for the state. Mazatlán is one of the most important cruise ports of the Pacific and the aguachile has become a sought-after dish in restaurants across Mexico and the United States. The Mazatlán Carnival, one of the oldest in the country (since 1898), brings together music, fishing tournaments and seafood cooking as cultural axes. Sinaloan banda music, a genre recognised by UNESCO, accompanies festivities and celebrations around food. The Marca Sinaloa promotes products such as prawn, Ataulfo mango, tomato and chilorio in international markets. Restaurants such as El Cuchupetas in Mazatlán, Los Arcos and Rincón de Chayito in Culiacán have influenced national seafood cooking. Sinaloan gastronomy has also been a tourism driver: the beaches of Mazatlán and Altata attract millions of visitors who seek to try the real aguachile.

Frequently asked questions