Most people do not think of seafood when they think of Mexico, but with six thousand miles of coastline, seafood is an important part of Mexican cuisine. Mexico lies right between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and it borders a good portion of the Gulf of Mexico. This area provides a great variety of seafood that can be put to good use in Mexican recipes.

Ceviche is a very popular seafood dish from Mexico. Made with small pieces of raw fish, squid, or shrimp, the recipe includes onion, peppers, salt, and cilantro. The fish is "cooked" with lemon or limejuice. The citric acid in the juice changes the proteins in the fish just like cooking. Even so, some ingredients will be cooked for safety purposes. You can enjoy ceviche on its own or used as filling for a taco. It is also wonderful on crackers or tostadas.

The Veracruzana style is popular around the city of Veracruz. This term means the seafood is cooked in a tomato sauce seasoned with olives, chilies, and capers. The dish is spicy with a nice tangy quality. It is most frequently served with shrimp or red snapper. This is only one popular way to prepare seafood in this region of Mexico.

Another popular method of cooking seafood in Mexico is known as "a la Plancha." This is a Spanish cooking method that uses a metal plate set over an open flame. The fish is grilled on this plate. The fish gets the wonderful taste of grilling, but it does not tend to stick like it does on the grill.

Winter is the best fishing time in Mexico. Large quantities of delicious fish and shellfish are harvested during this season to feed the populace. Most people in Mexico follow the Catholic religion, which dictates no meat on Fridays, only fish. They also eat a lot of seafood during Lent. Seafood plays a major part in their religious rituals for each family. Every cook uses their seasoning skills to bring out the most in their seafood, whether they can afford large shrimp or only a humble meal of fish heads.

When you are looking for dishes to make at home, do not forget to look for those that contain seafood. You may be surprised just how versatile it really is. Chilies stuffed with shrimp, spicy clams and delicious snapper await your eager taste buds when you prepare them like they are served in Mexico.

Add some of these delicious Mexican recipes to your recipe file. Seafood soup, stews and other dishes are both delicious and filling. Shrimp is used in enchiladas, tacos, and many more favorite dishes. Seafood and rice is a common dish served in Veracruz that contains fish, shrimp, octopus, clams, and crabs. Seafood frittatas are made with octopus, shrimp, crab, fish, and shellfish such as oysters, mussels, or clams for an exciting way to enjoy eggs.

Do not dismiss Mexican dishes just because they contain seafood. This cuisine makes seafood really shine. Take a tour of Mexican cuisine through its seafood and you will see their culture through a whole different perspective. The seafood is a perfect ingredient to combine with the many usual spices and ingredients of Mexican cuisine.