Taxtihuil (Nayarit Dried Shrimp and Masa Broth)

History & Origin

Taxtihuil is an ancestral broth from Nayarit and the Mexican Pacific coast, whose name comes from Nahuatl and refers to a thick, chile-colored broth. It is a Lenten and Holy Week dish, when coastal communities prepare seafood stews to replace meat. Taxtihuil uses dried shrimp, a highly valued pantry ingredient on the Pacific coast: the shrimp are sun-dried and stored for months, concentrating their flavor extraordinarily. The broth is thickened with dissolved maize masa, giving it a velvety texture and an ochre color that merges with the red of the guajillo chile. In the Huichol (Wixárika) communities of Nayarit, taxtihuil is prepared as an offering during agricultural ceremonies. In Santiago Ixcuintla, Tepic and the fishing communities of San Blas, taxtihuil is sold in markets during the Lenten season.