I’ve made tons of mistakes on this site with regards to cultural appropriation, but I’m hoping that this shrimp aguachile recipe, adapted from Hispanic Kitchen’s site, can be a positive step in the right direction.

As I’ve mentioned on social media, like many white food writers, I am grappling with my own role in suppressing much-needed voices from other cultures. That suppression happens both actively and passively. Actively, by borrowing ingredients and cooking techniques from various parts of the world without properly explaining their origins, and often times, worse, by bastardizing and whitewashing them. Passively, by playing the SEO game and pushing out authentic recipes written by actual members of that culture.

I’m sure other food media folks can relate, but I feel some pressure on this site to put “my own spin” on a recipe, sometimes adding ingredients that have no place in the authentic version, sometimes “healthifying” it in a way that is, frankly, insulting to the original. If you want to see one of my biggest missteps, you can check out this pozole post, where I was rightfully crucified in the comments section. I didn’t delete the backlash, but I also can’t say I’ve fully rectified the original post. I will slowly be updating my most egregious mistakes in this department, but in the meantime, I would rather not pave over my shameful actions and instead use them as a reminder to myself why all this work is overdue.

I am committed to doing better going forward…. Continue Reading about Shrimp Aguachile Tostadas (Camarones en Aguachile)