Tacos de charales
Tacos de charales are tacos of tiny freshwater silverside fish, fried crisp and eaten whole, a lake-country specialty of Michoacán and Jalisco around Pátzcuaro and Chapala.
The fish
Charales are small, slender fish of the genus Chirostoma, with a silver stripe along the side and a blunt snout. México Desconocido describes them as endemic to the lakes of the central highlands, among them Pátzcuaro, Zirahuén, Yuriria and Chapala, and notes that Michoacán produces more than 60 percent of the national catch. They have been eaten around those lakes since before the Spanish arrived. Mexico Travel and Leisure adds that the commercial fishery is centered on Lake Chapala and that the name is usually traced to a Purépecha word for small fish. Because they are so small, they are eaten whole, head and all.
Preparation
The most common way to eat charales, according to México Desconocido, is dried and fried, with lime and hot sauce. For tacos, the crisp little fish are piled onto fresh tortillas. El Financiero, writing about the lake towns of Michoacán, describes tacos de charales served on tortillas fresh off the comal with a coarse salsa martajada, and suggests avocado and chopped onion alongside. Mexico Travel and Leisure describes the Chapala version with salsa verde, onion, cilantro and lime, sold from street stalls in Chapala and Ajijic.
Where they are eaten
El Financiero names Purenchécuaro, Santa Fe de la Laguna, Zirahuén, Pátzcuaro and Erongarícuaro among the lakeside communities where the dish is found, and says each village has its own recipe. Charales also go into tortitas in green sauce, tostadas, omelets, tamales and breaded fritters. Mexico Travel and Leisure describes them scrambled with eggs as a common breakfast in the fondas around Pátzcuaro, and cooked with nopales in a guajillo sauce as a traditional Lenten dish. In Mexico City they can be found in markets such as Mercado de San Juan and Mercado de Medellín, though the same source finds them best eaten by the lakes. Michoacán's traditional cooking, which includes these lake foods, was recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010. In Mexico City, Chilango has described a Michoacán restaurant in the Centro Histórico, Testal, that serves charal tacos on red, green and white tortillas with raw green salsa, avocado, cilantro sprouts and lime.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g dried charales (or fresh small smelt or whitebait)
- Vegetable oil for shallow frying
- 1/2 teaspoon chile piquín powder
- Salt
- 2 limes
- 8 fresh corn tortillas
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
- Salsa martajada: 3 roasted tomatoes, 2 roasted serranos, 1 garlic clove, salt, coarsely crushed in a molcajete
Steps
- If using dried charales, rinse quickly in water and pat completely dry. Remove any loose heads if you prefer.
- Heat 1 cm of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the fish in batches until crisp and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels and season at once with salt, chile piquín and a squeeze of lime.
- Warm the tortillas on a comal. Fill each with a handful of charales and top with salsa martajada, avocado and onion.
Dried charales are sold in Mexican markets. Fresh smelt work well; dust them in a little flour before frying.
Reviews
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See also
References
- "Los charales, un alimento extraordinario de los lagos mexicanos". México Desconocido. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "¡No solo hay carnitas! 5 platillos típicos para conocer y saborear Michoacán". El Financiero. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "What Are Charales? Mexican Fish, Taste & Where to Try". Mexico Travel and Leisure. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Un pedacito de Michoacán en pleno Centro Histórico". Chilango. Retrieved 2026-10-10.