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Thursday, August 7, 2008
Adventures in the land of the giant shrimp
One of the best parts of this job is traveling through new places, and in Mexico that often means eating unfamiliar and amazing foods. We just got back from a jaunt through the state of Nayarit (just north of Puerto Vallarta), which is shrimp country. We were thoroughly spoiled by the incredibly fresh shrimp (usually just a few hours old before it hits your plate) and the dizzying variety of shrimp dishes. Not only do the locals have the freshest shrimp around, but they have become experts in preparing it.
Just in time for lunch, here are a couple of pictures of our favorites:
We found these shrimp burritos in a hole in the wall dive in Puerto Vallarta. Jumbo shrimp were smothered in a creamy sauce and cooked with succulent pieces of crab. Wrapped in a flour tortilla with veggies and a slice of cheese, these were maybe the best thing we ate.
In Mexcaltitan, a remote island village in the middle of a laguna, we found perhaps the area’s foremost experts on shrimp. We ate shrimp tamales, heavenly shrimp empanadas and shrimp meatballs. The tastiest though was this shrimp pate that looked like it would have been more at home in a fancy French restaurant than the makeshift clapboard restaurant.
(Photos by Nancy Flores)
I’d love to hear about any of your favorite meals in shrimp country.
