Puerto Vallarta is not only a national and international tourist reference for its unique landscapes and its splendid beaches, but also for its magnificent gastronomy. Cataloged as “the gourmet city”, it is home to six of the ten best haute cuisine restaurants in Mexico and is the venue for two renowned culinary festivals, Restaurant Week, in May, and the Gourmet Festival.
Due to its privileged geographical location in the Bay of Banderas, the typical products of the sea are fused with those of the mountains, creating the authentic culinary wealth of Puerto Vallarta. Dishes such as pregnant fish, oysters in their shell, corn, ceviches, zarandeado fish, scallops, etc., are part of the typical Vallarta cuisine. Most of these dishes can also be found in Mexico city. If you visit that city you can book a culinary tour with Food Tour Mexico.
You can enjoy yourself in the magnificent gourmet restaurants where it is possible to taste haute cuisine dishes, but you can also try some of the authentic delicacies of the area in the palapas of the beach restaurants or thanks to the street vendors, while you relax sunbathing, without having to go far from the beach.
Ceviche
It is a very popular dish and consists of marinated meat, usually fish, shellfish or both, in citrus dressings. This dish is accompanied by avocado, onions, tomatoes and a little coriander. In Mexico this dish is very popular, however, it is also prepared in the Caribbean and of course in Peru, where it is said that this dish originated.
Pescado embarazado
The name is a deformation of roasted fish, since that is what it is about, exquisite pieces of fish, usually dogfish or marlin, smeared with lemon, grilled and garnished with Huichol sauce. Sometimes fish can be substituted for shrimp.
Shrimp pozole
It is a tasty stew made with dried shrimp, small shrimp, pozolero corn, ancho and guajillo chili peppers, and spices. It is accompanied with lettuce, onion, radishes, cream and lemons.
Pescado zarandeado
The base of this dish is Pargo, a typical fish from the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, although it can be prepared with any fish. The fish is cut in half, spread with a sauce with different ingredients (in Vallarta the Huichol sauce is usually used for the marinade), and it is placed on a grill press and turned over and over again. As a side dish, white rice and tortillas, along with a spicy tomato sauce. It is delicious and is ideal to share with the family.
Tortas ahogadas
They are cakes made of birote, usually stuffed with pork, but also shrimp or other meats and stuffing, which are dipped in chili sauce. It can be difficult to eat if you are not a local, which is why sauces are offered in different degrees of spiciness.