Tacos de acociles
Tacos de acociles are tacos of acociles, tiny freshwater crayfish of central Mexico that turn red when cooked and are eaten whole, boiled or toasted, often with avocado and cilantro. Eaten since pre-Hispanic times around the lakes of the Valley of Mexico, acociles are now increasingly scarce.
Acociles
The Larousse dictionary of Mexican gastronomy describes the acocil as a freshwater crustacean of the family Cambaridae, represented in Mexico by the genera Cambarellus and Procambarus. The most abundant and widely eaten species is Cambarellus montezumae, especially in the Lerma River basin. The name comes from the Nahuatl acuitzilli, from atl, water. Acociles look like tiny shrimp, grayish when raw and red once cooked. Slow Food's Ark of Taste, which lists the Toluca Valley acocil, gives a length of 30 to 50 millimeters and a range on Mexico's central plateau from Lake Chapala in Jalisco to the crater lakes of Puebla.
History
Acociles were part of the daily diet of the Mexica and other peoples around the Basin of Mexico, according to Slow Food. Larousse records that they were eaten during the izcalli ceremonies of the eighteenth month of the pre-Hispanic calendar and were cooked in a stew called chalmulmulli served with tamales. Slow Food notes that they were traditionally boiled or baked and used in salads, tamales, fish sauces and molcajete dishes, and describes the acocil as having been a symbol of traditional tacos in the Toluca area.
Markets and tacos
Larousse explains that acociles are sold already cooked in baskets and eaten in tacos, cooked or grilled, alone or with avocado and cilantro, and also as a snack with tequila. It lists Mexico City's Mercado Hidalgo and markets in Xochimilco and Tulyehualco, and a Saturday tianguis beside the Central de Abasto in Toluca, as places to find them. Expansión's tour of La Merced market in Mexico City found baskets of acociles beside crickets at a stall selling pre-Hispanic ingredients. Uno TV's description of the Tlaxcala-style taco placero includes acociles among its components.
Slow Food warns that urbanization and rising water use in the Toluca Valley have pushed the local acocil toward potential extinction, making it rarer and more expensive in street markets and less common in traditional cooking.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g raw acociles, rinsed
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 serrano chile, finely chopped
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- Chopped cilantro and onion
- Lime wedges and salsa verde
Steps
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the acociles and cook 2 to 3 minutes until bright red. Drain well.
- Heat the oil in a skillet, add garlic and chile and cook 30 seconds.
- Add the acociles and toss until dry and lightly crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt.
- Warm the tortillas, add avocado slices and a spoonful of acociles.
- Top with cilantro and onion and serve with lime and salsa.
Acociles are eaten whole, shell and all. Ready-cooked acociles from the market only need warming.
Where to try it
- Mercado de La Merced, Mexico City: Expansión found acociles sold beside crickets and other pre-Hispanic ingredients
- Mercado Hidalgo, Mexico City: Named by Larousse as a market where acociles are sold
Reviews
Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.
See also
References
- "Acocil". Larousse Cocina. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Toluca Valley Acocil". Fondazione Slow Food (Ark of Taste). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Come en un recorrido por el mercado más grande de la CDMX". Expansión. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Taco placero: cómo y cuándo surgió en México". Uno TV. Retrieved 2026-10-10.