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SEAFOOD
Fish Taco
Sea food is of course the main staple around the waters of
Baja California, but it not as abundant as you may think as
much of it ends up being quickly packaged and exported.
Fish taco is the staple in Baja fast food and comes in several
different varieties, all served in a taco shell. It is said
the original recipe came from a Japanese fisherman.
Many restaurants will claim their fish tacos is the authentic
product, but like a hot dog you're better off with a roadside
stall than at a sit down restaurant where the fish is fresh
and prepared in front of you. The taco is served as battered
fish in a hot corn or wheat tortilla. At a roadside stall
many different salsas are on offer - red chilli, radishes,
onions, tomatoes, cabbage, Mexican crema.
Making your own fish taco is quite simple. Use any white
fish, as long as the flavour isn't too overpowering. Squeeze
the fish fillets with lime until they are soaked.
Make batter using eggs, flour and seasoning. Dip the marinated
fish thoroughly in batter then deep fry the fish in a wok
using 1 - 2 inches of vegetable or olive oil and deep fry
the fish hot for about three minutes until golden brown. Drain
on kitchen paper and serve on tortillas with fresh salsas.
Cahuamanta
Cahuama was a green sea turtle, which has now been
replaced with Manta Ray fish in making Cahuamanta a
chunky stew, either fresh or salted. It is served in small
tacos with shredded cabbage, lemon and salsa. The stew is
also sold in bowls with meat or as a broth. The taco version
will cost you around 3 or 4 pesos.
Marscos
Roadside stalls will sell various fish taco and also Marscos
- shellfish like oysters, octopus, squid and crab cocktails.
A cocktail will contain tomato, onions, and cucumber plus
a spicy salsa and cost around $3.
CORN DISHES
Delicious tostadas are a crispy corn tortilla covered
in mayonnaise and piled high with crab meat, shrimp, or ceviche
(raw fish mixed with salsa and soaked in lime juice) and garnished
with salsa, onions, chilis and lemon. Another corn delicacy
to try in Baja are corndidas which are made of corn
with beans, salad, melted cheese and chilli.
Hangover Cure
If all the spicy Mexican salsa and chillis combined with lashings
of tequila just get too much, you may need to take a trip
to the Hospital Para Crudos, which translates as "a
hospital for hangovers". The cure? Beef stomach, or goat's
stomach, fish tripe and fried cactus. And of course you have
got about four or five different chillies you can put on them
as well. On the other hand, you may be better off with a paracetemol
and a coffee....
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