Cahuamanta

The name "cahuamanta" (also spelled "caguamanta") combines cahuama, the common name for the sea turtle, and mantarraya, manta ray — its two original ingredients. Today it is made only with manta ray — and, in its Sinaloan variant, shrimp as well — since capturing sea turtles is banned under Mexican law.

The broth, served in a bowl or as a taco wrapped in a corn tortilla, is made from manta ray cooked with carrot, garlic, tomato, tomato purée, green chile, celery, black pepper, oregano and cumin, and accompanied by chopped cabbage and red onion plus a chile, vinegar and garlic salsa. When served as broth alone, without the meat, it is known as "bichi," a term of Yaqui origin.

According to the Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana, cahuamanta originated in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, where it began to be prepared in the late nineteenth century; from there it spread through the rest of Sonora and reached northern Sinaloa, especially Los Mochis, where the recipe came to include shrimp as a standard ingredient, unlike the Sonoran version, which does not always include it.

The substitution of manta ray for sea turtle follows from the legal protection of sea turtles in Mexico, species listed as endangered whose capture and sale are prohibited; the sources consulted do not agree on a precise year for when that ban began, so it is described here only as a change that followed the protection taking effect, without fixing an exact date.

Manta ray is simmered in a tomato broth with carrot, garlic, celery, green chile, oregano and cumin until tender; in the Sinaloan variant, shrimp is added toward the end of cooking. It is served hot, topped with finely chopped cabbage and red onion, with a chile, vinegar and garlic salsa served on the side so each diner can season it to taste.