Recipes-Recetas / Food-Comida

Cóctel de Camarón (Mexican Shrimp Cocktail)

By hola | Published June 18, 2026 | No Comments

Context: Climate change is ruining the taste of shrimp

According to scientists, climate change – specifically ocean acidification – may mean we eat less shrimp in the future. New research suggests that rising carbon dioxide levels are making the world’s oceans more acidic, potentially reducing the survival rate and changing the flavor of shrimp.

A 2021 study examining tiger shrimp, found that they “may become less palatable in the future due to a lower production of some amino acids. Finally, tiger shrimp also had a lower survival rate … suggesting that ocean acidification may affect both the quality and quantity of future shrimp resources.”

What’s the best way for a shrimp lover to process such deeply depressing news? Who knows. This may be a coping mechanism, but here’s one idea: let’s enjoy shrimp while we can!

Below is our adaptation of an old Torres family recipe that outclasses the typical U.S. shrimp cocktail with lots of fresh veggies and optional chunks of fresh avocado.

Cóctel de Camarón

Ingredients

• 1 pound chilled cooked medium shrimp – peeled, deveined, and tails removed
• 1/3 cup Spanish onion, chopped
• 1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 2 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded (optional) and chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups tomato and clam juice or tomato and clam cocktail
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
• Salt to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 2 avocados (optional), cut into bitesize chunks

Directions

1. Combine the dry ingredients
   Combine and toss together the shrimp with all of the fresh vegetables, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until well combined.
2. Combine the wet ingredients
   In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato or tomato-clam juice with the tomato paste, worcestershire and hot sauces and lime juice.
3. Stir them together, garnish and serve
   Gently stir the wet ingredients into the shrimp and vegetable mixture, add the avocado chunks, if using, and combine well. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy immediately or refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Tips

Reading List

Here are a few interesting links we found while doing our research.

– Story by Christine MacDonald

– Copy edited by Valerie Izquierdo

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