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Tixtihuil (Tastehuile): A Taste of Ancient Sinaloa and Nayarit Mexico
Discover Tixtihuil: A Prehispanic Culinary Gem
Reading time : 1 minute,
Discovery Chepe Id-291-GAS
Published in
09-19-2024
Clash of cultures, religion, gastronomy, music are the main exchanges between the natives of Mesoamerica and the arrival of the first European colonizers. Thus forming one of the richest cultural diversities. The dish called Tixtihuil is a great example of this.
From the Nahuatl tastihuile, from Tixtli Soup thickened with corn dough; shrimp atole. Also called tixtihuil, it is a dish that dates back to around the 16th century when the first Spanish colonizers began to explore the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Tixtihuil...The flavor of the shrimp is very pre-Hispanic
The clash of two cultures brought with it an explosion of exchange of behaviors, beliefs, attitudes and, of course, the gastronomic exchange. The new ingredients that the colonizers brought from the Far East were totally new to the local inhabitants, who in turn mixed them with traditional indigenous food, the result is simply delicious. This dish is very traditional today in the northwest of Mexico, mainly in Nayarit and Sinaloa. Towns such as Rosario, Escuinapa in Sinaloa, and northern Nayarit consume it widely, and it is part of the gastronomic heritage of the area.
Tixtihuil: The Spicy, Savory Broth from Mexico's Past
It is said that this dish was created by an indigenous group called Los Totorames. This group lived in the valley and the coast of the Piaxtla River to the Río de las Cañas, which today are the municipalities of San Ignacio, Mazatlán, Concordia, El Rosario and Escuinapa in Sinaloa up to the Santiago River in the current state of Nayarit. Its main domain was Chiametlán, today the town of Chametla in the municipality of Rosario in Sinaloa.
Considered a "dish for the gods", it was usually eaten after long days of work to recover energy. The Totorames, who were also lovers of mezcal, used to soften the hangover or the "cruda" with this dish due to the flavor of chili and lemon. Over the years, its preparation became a tradition, being transmitted from parents to children, preserving its traditional flavor just as it was prepared centuries ago.
In the image, the traditional shrimp broth, which is also widely consumed throughout Mexico. Its preparation is very similar and sometimes confused with the pre-Hispanic dish Tixtihuil.
Ingredients: (For a maximum of 4 servings)
1 kg of shrimp
3 Pasilla chiles (seeded)
1 dried Chile de arbol (seeded)
½ red onion
3 garlic cloves
1 tomato
½ cup tortilla dough
1 tablespoon oil
1 pinch of oregano
1 pinch of pepper
Salt
to taste Preparation:
1- Cook the chiles, garlic, tomato and ¼ onion with a little water. Once cooked, blend them and, very importantly, add the tortilla dough. This will form a kind of atole or thick paste. This paste can be thicker or thinner depending on your taste. You can add a little more if you prefer.
2- Bring the shrimp to a boil with about 1 liter of water, ¼ red onion, salt and pepper to taste, in a pan or pot until they turn an orange-pink color (do not overcook).
3- From the already cooked shrimp, separate between 7 and 10 heads, remove the eyes and cut off the tips of the heads and put them in the blender with 2 cups of water (you can use the water or broth in which you previously cooked them).
4- Use a pot to place a little oil and pour the atole mixture along with the blend you made with the shrimp heads. A thick broth will form and add salt and pepper to taste and let it boil for 5 minutes.
5- After 5 minutes, add the shrimp that you seasoned and pre-cooked previously along with the oregano and let it boil for another 5 minutes.
Serve the portions in a deep plate. This dish can be accompanied with lemon juice, another addition of a sauce of your choice. Many people like to consume it with tortilla and a drink of their choice. Bon appetit! Enjoy the traditional cuisine of the Northwest of Mexico, may traditions never end.
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