Mexican · Sinaloa · appetizer

Aguachile Verde de Camarón

Aguachile Verde de Camarón reads citrus 6.0, sourness 6.0 and herbaceous 3.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican · Sinaloa appetizer, about 35 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 3.9 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 0.8 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 7.8 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.4 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 6.0 · Sourness 6.0 · Herbaceous 3.4 · Salinity 3.3 · Richness 3.3 · Umami 2.9 · Marine & Briny 2.6 · Allium 1.9 · Earthy 1.0 · Floral 0.9 · Sweetness 0.7

What's in it (10)

• shrimp — 600 g
• lime juice — 180 g
• chiltepín chiles — 800 g
• cilantro — 40 g
• english cucumber — 300 g
• red onion — 180 g
• salt — 10 g
• cold water — 60 g
• avocado — 200 g
• tostadas — 1200 g

Time & effort: about 35 min (1 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 23.3 kcal, 2.9 g protein, 0.7 g fat, 1.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Aguachile is not ceviche and it is not marinated for hours. Sinaloa serves it barely dressed, the shrimp still cool and translucent in the middle, and it is put together in the last five minutes before it reaches the table.
2. Butterfly the shrimp so each opens into a flat sheet and chill them on ice 20 minutes; cold shrimp stay firm when the lime hits them.
3. Blend the lime juice, chiles, cilantro, cold water and salt for no more than 30 seconds. Blend it longer and the cilantro bruises and the chile heat turns flat and vegetal. It should be bright green, thin and aggressively hot.
4. Rinse the sliced red onion in cold water and let it sit 10 minutes to take the bite off.
5. Pour the chile water over the shrimp and leave it exactly 3 to 5 minutes. The edges will turn opaque while the centres stay glassy — that is where you want to stop.
6. Layer the cucumber and onion over and through, lay the avocado on top, and serve immediately with tostadas. It does not wait.
7. Substitutions: 6 serranos can stand in for the chiltepín chiles; saltine crackers can stand in for the tostadas.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Peruvian Crab Causa — Peruvian
• Ají Casero con Aguacate — Colombian
• Grilled Whole Trout with Lemon and Herbs — American
• Pulpo al Olivo — Peruvian
• Poached Salmon With Dill Horseradish Sauce Recipe — French

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, herbaceous mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.