Latest news with #Sinaloan
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- General
- Los Angeles Times
10 top mariscos spots for Sinaloan-style aguachile in L.A.
A good plate of Sinaloa-style aguachile starts with liquid hot peppers, lots of lime, and freshly butterflied, raw shrimp. The flavor and heat build like a strong corrido: dramatic and full of contrast, tension and release. The chiles, the lime, the crunch of cucumber, the bite of red onion — it's all deliberate. Bold, loud and alive. Just like Sinaloa. In 'Mexico: The Cookbook,' author Margarita Carrillo Arronte asserts that aguachile began in the sun-baked ranchlands of inland Sinaloa, not the coast. She says the original version was made with carne seca (sun-dried beef), rehydrated in water and jolted awake with chiltepín peppers. Picture ranchers grinding the chiles by hand, mixing them with lime and water, and pouring it over dehydrated meat to revive it like a delicious Frankenstein's monster. Francisco Leal, chef-owner of Mariscos Chiltepín in Vernon and Del Mar Ostioneria in Mid-City, shares a slightly different origin story. 'According to legend, aguachile was invented in the hills of Los Mochis [Sinaloa],' he said. 'The poor would mix tomatoes, onions and hot water with ground chiltepín. That's why it's called aguachile — chile water. They'd dip tortillas in it because that's all they had. Naturally, when it reached the cities, people added protein.' In both stories, aguachile migrated west to the coast — in particular, Mazatlán — where shrimp replaced carne seca. From there, it crossed borders and eventually took root in cities like Los Angeles, where it now thrives as both a beloved mariscos staple and a canvas for regional creativity. Despite the comparisons, aguachile is not ceviche. The fish or shrimp in ceviche may marinate in citrus for hours. Traditional Sinaloa aguachile shrimp stay translucent, kissed but not cooked by the spicy lime juice. The dish is popular across L.A.'s broader Mexican food scene, thanks to the city's deeply rooted Sinaloan community. Many families hail from Mazatlán, Culiacán and Los Mochis and have been living in areas such as South Gate, Huntington Park, Paramount and East L.A. for decades. With them came a seafood-first sensibility that prioritizes freshness, balance and bold flavors in everyday cooking. That foundation helped aguachile thrive across generations and zip codes. Chefs like Leal have expanded on the dish while staying true to its roots. At his Vernon restaurant, aguachile is more than a menu item — it's a form of expression. Leal experiments with ingredients like passion fruit and tropical chiles but maintains an obsessive commitment to sourcing, texture and balance. You'll now find aguachile made with scallops at Gilberto Cetina's Michelin-rated marisqueria Holbox or carrots at Enrique Olvera's restaurant Damian in downtown L.A., but the rise of these variations is less about fleeting trends and more about the dish's adaptability — its ability to hold complexity and evolve. Many chefs are drawing inspiration from seasonal California produce and veggie-forward palates, pairing traditional heat with a lighter, fresher profile. But sometimes I crave the aguachile I grew up with. My Sinaloan mom Elvia and my Sinaloan-American nephew Angel make the best aguachile I've ever had. They do it with high-quality shrimp that's cleaned and butterflied just before serving, fresh-squeezed lime juice and chiles blended to order. Cold, sharp and so spicy it makes you sweat. Whether they make the dish as a quick snack with tortilla chips or an appetizer for a weekend asada, the goal is always to feed their family food from the heart. As I explored L.A.'s aguachile scene, I was moved by how many places carried that same spirit. From front-yard mariscos stands to neighborhood institutions, here are 10 Sinaloan-style aguachiles to snack on all summer long.
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
This Is the Moment for Mexican Indian Food to Flourish
Hamachi crudo and its endless, perfunctory variations blur together, but the rendering at Mirra, in Chicago, is a striking thunderbolt of flavor: slices of yellowtail drenched in lime-spiked buttermilk, hot and tangy with a garlic and serrano achar, tucked under a delicate crunch of nopales, ginger and curry leaves. In one bite, the fresh and drinkable buttermilk, called chaas in Hindi, is invited to party with Sinaloan aguachile, bringing together flavors from India and Mexico into something new, delicious and essentially stateless. 'Is it Indian? Is it Mexican?' Rishi Kumar said on the phone. 'No, it's something else.' Mr. Kumar and the co-chef Zubair Mohajir opened their restaurant last year in the Bucktown neighborhood, and quickly found the house packed for their energetic and sharply intelligent Mexican Indian cooking. It's not unusual to see margaritas crowding tables in the late afternoon as diners share quesadillas shining with melted Amul cheese and rip pastry off their lamb barbacoa biryani. Like the more successful dishes on the menu, the biryani surfaces regional ingredients and techniques without veering toward the formulaic. Mexican Indian food might sound like a bit of a novelty, orchestrated for a fast-food chain's viral marketing campaign — it's not. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Los Alegres del Barranco Apologizes After Controversial Concert Imagery Linked to Cartel Leader
Mexican band Los Alegres del Barranco spoke out for the first time on Wednesday (April 2) about the controversial concert where they projected images of the leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera Cervantes, in an auditorium at the University of Guadalajara last weekend. The incident caused the United States to cancel the work and tourist visas of the group's members. In a statement and video posted on their social media, the Sinaloan group offered an apology for the events that occurred on Saturday (March 29) during their performance at the Telmex Auditorium, and stated that, as a group, 'it was never our intention to create controversy, much less cause offense.' More from Billboard U.S. Cancels Visas for Mexican Group After Showing Cartel Leader Photos in Concert The Weeknd's 'Call Out My Name' Video Reaches 1 Billion YouTube Views Johnny Tillotson, Iconic Country & Pop Singer Behind 'Poetry in Motion,' Dies at 86 The band — who has released some songs with clear references to narcoculture — reaffirms that their music is inspired by telling popular stories within Mexican music. 'We will take more rigorous measures on the visual and narrative content of our shows,' he added. The statement from the corrido group — who perform in a genre that has occasionally made clear references to narco-culture and famous cartel leaders since its origins over a century ago — came a day after U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau confirmed on Tuesday (April 1) in a post on X that the government of that country had canceled the visas of the members of the Mexican group following the projection of images 'that glorify drug traffickers.' 'In the Trump Administration, we take our responsibility regarding the access of foreigners to our country very seriously. We are not going to roll out the red carpet for those who glorify criminals and terrorists,' Landau stated in both English and Spanish. The incident, which has caused great controversy and outrage in Mexico, was condemned on Monday (March 31) by Mexico's President, Claudia Sheinbaum, and prompted the Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office to launch an investigation for 'advocating crime.' U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on February 20 the designation of eight cartels — including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel — and transnational organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT). On Tuesday, the governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus, stated in a message on X that his government supports the measures taken by the University of Guadalajara to prevent concerts from glorifying criminal acts, such as what occurred over the weekend at the Telmex Auditorium. Videos show the moment when attendees at the concert titled 'Los Señores del Corrido' (The Lords of Corridos) erupted in jubilation as images of the drug lord were projected, further fueling controversy and outrage in Mexico. In a statement, the Telmex Auditorium distanced itself from the events, explaining that the venue, 'has no involvement in the selection of the repertoire, speeches, or audiovisual material that the artists choose to share with their audience.' However, it acknowledged that the images of the drug lord could be considered as 'advocating crime.' The controversy over the alleged homage to the drug trafficker comes after the debate over the way in which the cartel founded in that western Mexican state allegedly uses clandestine ranches to recruit people to the criminal group through deceitful job offers. As reported by federal authorities and the media, a raid by authorities at Rancho Izaguirre in the municipality of Teuchitlán revealed the spot where acts of torture and murders were allegedly committed, actions denounced in March by the Guerreros Buscadores collective, a civilian corps focused on finding missing and disappeared loved ones. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Los Angeles Times
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Los Tigres del Norte on meeting the political moment, playing at Folsom and paving the way for música Mexicana
Two weeks ago, I got an email from Los Tigres del Norte's publicist informing me that the legendary band would be in Los Angeles to promote the release of 'La Lotería'— a sociopolitical corrido that uses the imagery of the popular bingo-like Mexican game to comment on topics like immigration and the past criminality of our current president — and its upcoming tour across the United States (including a stop at Anaheim's Honda Center on March 29), Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic He asked if I had any interest in an interview. I've never said yes faster. After all, Los Tigres del Norte is one of the most consequential música Mexicana acts on either side of the border, popularizing the genre in the U.S. long before the current batch of stars was even born. Comprised of the Hernández brothers (Jorge, Hernán, Eduardo and Luis) and their cousin Óscar Lara, the band was founded in 1965 in the Sinaloan town of Rosa Morada and settled in San Jose a few years later. It has sold millions of records worldwide with its songs about the drug trade, unrequited love and immigrant life in this country. It's responsible for 'La Puerta Negra,' a track that drives the crowd at Dodger Stadium into a frenzy whenever it's played over the PA system. I spoke to the band members and Sergio Arau, who directed and illustrated the music video for 'La Lotería,' at the Universal Music offices in Woodland Hills. The following interview has been translated from Spanish, and has been lightly edited for length and clarity. I want to start with 'La Lotería,' a song with a message that talks about the current political climate. What inspired you to record this song? Jorge Hernández: We were inspired by the fact that lotería has a very direct connection with the public, the characters it mentions and everything that happens throughout the song. But the most important thing is that we now see that this song comes out at a critical moment. We took on the task of recording and having this number and hopefully the public will analyze it and reflect on each of the themes that are touched upon in this song, because there are several and each lotería card has a different meaning for all of us. That is why we invite those who are reading this to listen to the song so that they can reflect. Lotería is very much a Mexican staple. There are many people of Mexican descent living in the United States who do not speak Spanish, but they know the lotería game quite well. Why focus on this very cultural and well-known product? Hernán Hernández: Lotería, besides being a game, in our Mexican culture, it's like believing in something. If something bad happens to you, you think, 'I hope I win the lottery so I can get out of this situation,' or if you don't get along with someone, sometimes you think, 'Why are you so stuck up? Did you win the lottery or what?' Personally, I see lotería as the risks you have to take in life in order to obtain what you want. When you buy a lottery ticket, you don't know that you're going to win it. Those of us who come from Mexico or any Latin American country to the United States, you risk a lot crossing over, venturing here. We don't know if we're going to make it, but you tell yourself, 'Yes, I am going to make it!' When we came to the United States in 1968, we were lucky. We won the lottery in a sense by coming legally. But once we were here, we had opportunities and we stayed here illegally for a while, until each one of us got our papers sorted out. I think that is part of the lottery. If you don't take risks, you will never win. You have to take that leap of faith in life to improve things for yourself. As you mentioned, immigration is something you all experienced. How has your personal story influenced your music? Luis Hernández: It has influenced our music in a thousand ways. Each one of us at some point was illegal in this country, and so we know intimately the challenges that this community faces. In the decades that the band has been together, we have seen different administrations vilify migrant communities. We deeply understand the problems that have existed for this vulnerable group of people. We've seen immigrants, especially Latinos, be repeatedly used as scapegoats to advance people's political aspirations. Living within a Latino community has made us perfectly aware of what happens to our countrymen here on a daily basis, and that makes us more attuned when it comes to recording songs. Throughout our career as Los Tigres del Norte, we have developed a relationship with our audience where they see something in us that makes them feel like they are like us and we are like them. You guys are categorized as part of the música Mexicana genre, which you obviously are, but to me your music is also very American. Several of your songs touch on the theme of being from here and from there, de aquí y de allá, whether it be 'Jaula de Oro,' or 'Somos más Americanos,' which claims that Mexican immigrants living in the U.S. are more American than 'all of the gringos' and points to how much of this country used to be Mexican territory. My favorite rendition of the latter is the 'MTV Unplugged' version that features Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine. Talk to me a little about that song and collaborating with Zack on it. Eduardo Hernández: 'Somos más Americanos' is a song that we believe speaks the truth about our paisanos living on this side of the border. When my compadre Jorge does the spoken part of the track, people in the audience shout and raise their arms with joy, they raise their fist as if to say, 'Yes, I am that person.' Even though it was recorded more than 20 years ago, fans always ask for it. It is a song that I do not think will ever go out of style, especially with what we are living right now. Working with Zack was a wonderful experience. He learned to play the song the way we play it. When we invited him to perform with us, he asked to sing that song specifically. He learned how to play it on the bajo sexto in like an hour. Obviously, we felt very flattered because he is a great figure, a person who also defends our people. We will always be grateful to him for that. Hernán: I remember Jorge pointed out once in an interview that in Mexico you're not really taught the history of how so much land ended up becoming part of the United States. And Sergio here, who grew up and went to school in Mexico, can corroborate this. The history books in Mexico don't really delve into how California and other Western states once belonged to Mexico, and even less so here in the U.S. We weren't really taught that. Sergio Arau: The Mexican-American War of 1848 wasn't a war. It was an invasion. It's not really common knowledge in Mexico that the U.S. flag was flown in [Mexico City's central plaza] the Zocalo for nine months. Nobody really talks about it. You worked with Sergio, whom we recently interviewed for the 20th anniversary of his film 'A Day Without a Mexican,' on the music video for 'La Lotería.' How did this partnership come about? Jorge: We had the opportunity to work with Sergio when we made the music video for 'La Bala.' We were looking for a director who could put on the screen what the song was all about. A woman from our record label, Martita, said that Sergio was the right fit for the job, so we looked him up. Sergio's video immediately connected with the public. When it came time to make a video for 'La Lotería,' we needed someone who could be quick and very effective with the messaging. We knew we wanted to work with Sergio again because lotería is such a Mexican thing and we needed someone who had that deep cultural understanding of what the game and the characters in the game mean. Hernán: Sergio is so well-versed in culture and he does everything. He drew all of the images in the video. He directs, he sings and plays music. Sergio: I'm what you call a multi-undisciplined artist. [laughs] Hernán: Sergio and his band [Botellita de Jerez] were also part of the rock tribute to Los Tigres del Norte [2001's 'El Mas Grande Homenaje A Los Tigres Del Norte']. Speaking of rock, Los Tigres del Norte went viral recently thanks to the Swedish band the Hives. Can you talk to me about that? Jorge: That was a very nice moment. We were playing in London last April and the Hives were playing at the same venue the night before. They posted a photo online that showed us wearing outfits similar to the ones they wear and they encouraged their fans to come to our show. They sent us a nice message. Two of the band members were supposed to come say hello but one of them got very sick so they couldn't make it. We messaged them back to see if we could link up one day and play some concerts together. Los Tigres del Norte played at Folsom State Prison in 2018. This performance was captured in a 2019 documentary that streamed on Netflix. What struck me about the show and the film was how you always extend dignity and respect to people who don't always get it from the rest of society. Was this the reason why you wanted to play at Folsom? Jorge: We were approached about performing there because it was going to be the 50th anniversary of Johnny Cash playing at Folsom, and they wanted to commemorate that with another performance. They asked if we were interested and we said that of course we wanted to do it. Johnny Cash's son [John Carter Cash] was heavily involved in the decision and he picked us to honor his father and continue that legacy. I think part of the reason we were picked was that when Johnny Cash performed, the majority of the inmates were white, and now the majority are Latino. We also wanted to do something a little bit different. In addition to performing for the men, we also wanted to play for the women incarcerated there. They gave us permission for both. Óscar Lara: Adding a little bit to that, it was eye-opening to be subjected to the level of security when we first entered. It was incredible. Our production for the event was very low-key because we couldn't bring in many things. It was just a camera, two speakers, a small console and our instruments. When we went in, they even took out all of the strings. They gave us a little tour of some of the cells, and you got a real firsthand look at how inmates live there. They're in a cell where there's a toilet right next to the bed. You notice the darkness. As they walked us around, an inmate shouted at us through a little hole on his cell door, 'Los Tigres del Norte!' He was surprised to see us there. 'Are you making a movie here? I met you guys at an event in Bakersfield. What are you doing here?' I answered that we're going to play there and asked if he knew about that. He said he had no idea. 'I behaved badly and I haven't really seen the sun in six months.' It was an experience that stayed with me. You guys have a trajectory that spans several decades, and I'm sure you've seen the explosion of the Mexican and Latino population in the U.S. during that period. Right now, we find ourselves in a cultural moment where música Mexicana is a massive genre for the streamers here and globally. What do you guys think of the new generation of young artists carrying the banner of música Mexicana? Jorge: This group of new artists have really resonated with a whole new generation of fans, and they've been really good at leveraging the internet to grow their audiences. I think these young people have every right to express themselves however they want. Some are more successful than others. I think that we are all part of the same movement. Música Mexicana is a tree and these new songs are the leaves of the tree that come from all those who were here before us and those of us who have been doing it for a while. These new branches of songs from the new generation, they play their music a certain way, and we are grateful for that, for that new opening, right? I hope that it continues to grow and that all of them continue to mature and that they do it the best they can so that this music continues to exist for a long time. Final question, and I want to end like how I started, by talking about politics and what we're living through. Los Tigres del Norte have never been afraid to express opinions about the society we live in, and something I've noticed when talking to the new generation is that the political messaging is noticeably absent from their music. It's almost as if they're afraid to talk about what's going on, which is surprising and disappointing. Do you have a message for this new generation in terms of speaking the truth about what's happening? Luis: I don't think it's fear that they have. I think it's a lack of commitment and responsibility to give that message. I think that at the end of the day when a trend comes along, the others follow that line and the easiest thing is to do what has already been done, or talk about very superficial things. It's very difficult. If you notice, there are very few artists left who talk about social problems, who talk about immigration issues. Those who do, address it once or twice. Who among them can talk to you about the topic of immigration because they have experienced it firsthand? I think that they also sing corridos that are more fictitious and that don't speak of reality as it is. Many things are said, many of them crude. So then if those songs that they perform don't have a root in reality, then how are they going to talk about a subject that is so pertinent to society? It's very difficult to be able to project something that you don't know thoroughly. That's why I say that those who want to be spokespeople for a society must have that commitment. How Rebecca Black's new record became her most liberated Over a decade since her big break, the O.C. native of 'Friday' fame talks her bold new project, 'Salvation.' Trump tariffs would be devastating, say Mexican fashion designers The founders of ethical fashion brand De María discuss the economic implications of tariffs against Mexico. 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