Zihuatanejo Hosts “Tiritas” Fish Festival in February

By: Miroslava Hernández Toledo, a student at Instituto Lizardi high school in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico*

The gastronomy of Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Mexico, is characterized by having fresh fish as the main ingredient. The local signature dish of the area is called “Tiritas”, a dish that was created here and that is found in most of the seafood restaurants.

“Tiritas” is Part of the Local Zihuatanejo Identity –  A “Zanca” Dish

“Tiritas” are strips of fresh fish (sailfish or other) that are cooked by marinating them in lemon juice, along with onion, habanero chili, avocado, among other things. It can be served with chips, toast or on saltine crackers as you prefer. You can add soy sauce or hot sauce. Personally, it is one of my favorite dishes because it is very light, does not contain fats, and it is healthy and delicious.

Zihuatanejo’s Tiritas Fish Festival is an Annual Event

This annual event began last year. The 2^nd Annual Tiritas Festival was held in Zihuatanejo on February 25, 2018. Twenty-one restaurants competed in the gastronomy event.

National and international tourists attended plus the local community. There was a prize of $15,000.00 MXN (about $800 USD) for first place.

There was live music and different local and national drinks along with some other dishes. The festival had a very good atmosphere and variety of music from cumbia to rock. Everyone looked very happy and enjoyed the evening. Each person got a token with which they could vote for the “Tiritas” dish that they liked the most. All dishes had a special and distinctive touch according to the restaurant in which they were made.

The festival started at 5:00 p.m. and ended at 9:00 p.m. when the award was given. First place went to “The Bolillos Restaurant,” second place went to “El Tiburón de la Costa,” and third place went to “Oliveros.”

It was a great evening full of delicious dishes made by the people of Zihuatanejo.

The food festival was good for tourism too. During that weekend there was a big increase in the tourism of the area and the hotels had a general occupancy of 90.3%. This festival encourages the economy and tourism within Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, which is why this event should continue year after year. Editor’s Note: Miroslava Hernández is a graduating senior at Instituto Lizardi in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico. She aspires to be a stockbroker. This article is part of her class project for an English writing class taught by the editor of this publication. Congratulations, Miro!

Related Article:

Imagine-Mxico.com/Tiritas de Pescado – The Signature Dish of Zihuatanejo