Pescado zarandeado is a signature dish of the Mexican Nayarit region. It is a simple meal made by cooking local fish (preferably red snapper) over mangrove wood charcoal, which gives off a distinctive smoke that permeates the lightly salted fish.
Today, some cooks like to add spices and hot chilis to the dish instead of using only salt, which accentuates the natural flavors of fish. The name of the dish is derived from the word zaranda, referring to the name of the grill used in the preparation of fish.
MOST ICONIC Pescado zarandeado
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Poke is a traditional Hawaiian dish that is made with small pieces of fresh and raw fish or seafood, which are combined with finely chopped vegetables, herbs, condiments, and seasonings. Although traditional poke uses either ahi tuna (yellowfin tuna) or octopus, the variations on this dish are endless these days, including poke with salmon, mussels, crabmeat, or oysters, as well as vegetarian versions with diced avocados.
Typical ingredients apart from the raw fish or seafood include sweet onions, garlic, shallots, scallions, sesame seeds, seaweeds, candlenuts, limu (brown algae), soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and Hawaiian sea salt. The creation of poke has been attributed to local fishermen who used to combine freshly-caught small reef fish with few seasonings such as sea salt, candlenuts, limu, and seaweed for a filling snack.
MOST ICONIC Poke
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Tacos de pescado or fish tacos have origins in the Mexican region of Baja California. These corn flour tacos are filled with fried or grilled pieces of fish, vegetables such as cabbage or lettuce, and a topping of either sour cream or mayonnaise.
The dish is also popular in the United States, especially in California, where it can be found at numerous street carts, served with cabbage and coleslaw.
MOST ICONIC Tacos de pescado
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Tuna tartare is an elegant starter originating from Los Angeles. The dish is made with a combination of raw tuna, avocado, egg yolks, green peppercorns, capers, chives, tarragon, mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. It was invented in 1984 by chef Shigefumi Tachibe at the Chaya Brasserie when a few customers came in wanting beef tartare, but one of them didn't eat beef, so the chef tried tuna, and it was an instant success.
Nowadays, it's usually served as a visually attractive appetizer with crackers or toast.
MOST ICONIC Tuna Tartare
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Cedar-plank salmon is a fish delicacy that involves cooking salmon on cedar planks, a unique method of cooking which is believed to have been originally practiced by the Native Americans who mostly used Western red cedar (a type of cypress). The wood planks, which must be free from any surface coatings or chemicals, are typically immersed in water into which coarse salt, fruit juice, or wine can be added.
Once dried and heated on the grill, the planks are topped with salmon fillets that can either be left with their skin intact or skinned. Salmon is typically marinated in oil, seasonings, and fresh aromatic herbs such as rosemary, thyme, dill, oregano, parsley, juniper berries, or even fir needles.
MOST ICONIC Cedar-plank salmon
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Originating from the coastal region around Mazatlán, ceviche de Sierra is a traditional type of ceviche prepared with fresh mackerel as the key ingredient. Other ingredients used in the dish include lime juice, carrots, onions, cucumbers, serrano peppers, oregano, and salt.
The fish is finely chopped and marinated in lime juice and salt. The other ingredients are also chopped, and the two are then mixed together before serving. This ceviche can be enriched with the addition of diced avocado or chopped tomatoes.
Bake and shark is a unique Trini street food item that is especially popular at concerts, festivals, and celebrations. It consists of marinated or seasoned pieces of shark meat, sauces, chutneys, and vegetables in a flatbread known as bake.
The dish is often associated with Maracas beach which is filled with numerous bake and shark street stalls.
MOST ICONIC Bake and Shark
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B. C. roll is a type of makizushi made with sushi rice, barbecued salmon (or barbecued salmon skin), and cucumbers. The name B. C. roll refers to British Columbia, well-known for wild Pacific salmon. This Canadian delicacy was invented in Vancouver in 1974 by a Japanese chef named Hidekazu Tojo.
MOST ICONIC B.C. roll
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Fish fry refers both to the meal and the popular Friday night tradition in Wisconsin. The fish is battered or breaded, then deep-fried, which is the fastest way to cook large quantities of fish. The Friday night event dates back to the medieval Roman Catholic times.
Friday is connected to the crucifixion of Christ, so the day signifies abstinence - in this case, from meat, but fish got a free pass since it is considered that it doesn't come from a warm-blooded creature. The fish fry practice came from Irish, Polish, and German Catholic immigrants who had settled in Wisconsin.
MOST ICONIC Fish Fry
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Fried catfish or southern fried catfish is a traditional fish specialty from the American South. Catfish fillets are first soaked in buttermilk and then rolled in cornmeal mixture before they are deep-fried in hot oil. The cornmeal crust gives the fish a unique flavor and nice crispiness on the outside while remaining tender and moist on the inside.
Fried catfish is traditionally served alongside cornmeal dumplings, known as hush puppies, tartar sauce, coleslaw, and (sometimes) fried pickles. This beloved Southern fish dish is available in numerous fish fry eateries in the South.
MOST ICONIC Fried Catfish
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TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 53 North American Fish Dishes” list until February 13, 2025, 1,634 ratings were recorded, of which 1,264 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.