Caldo de Piedra (Caldo de piedra)
Overview
Caldo de piedra, or stone soup, is a fish soup from the Chinantec community of San Felipe Usila in Oaxaca, Mexico, and it is cooked in an extraordinary way. River stones are heated in a wood fire until they are red hot. A gourd bowl is filled with water, pieces of river fish, shrimp, tomato, onion, chilli, coriander and epazote, and the glowing stones are dropped in with wooden tongs. The water boils instantly and cooks the fish in a few minutes. The soup is fresh and light, and every bowl is made in front of the diner.
History
The Chinantec people say the dish began as a meal that men cooked by the Usila river, where they caught fish and heated stones in a fire with no pots. It was a tradition reserved for men and was tied to giving thanks to women. In recent years cooks from Usila have opened restaurants in Oaxaca and Mexico City, and the dish has become famous as a piece of living pre-Hispanic heritage.
Main ingredients
River fish, shrimp, tomato, onion, chilli, epazote. The soup is built on water heated with stones and is usually served hot. Diet: pescatarian; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Fish and seafood soups · Tomato soups · More soups from Mexico
Recipe
Method
- 11 h
Heat the stones in a wood fire for about 1 hour until very hot.
- 2
Put the water, fish, shrimp, tomato, onion, chilli, herbs and salt in a heatproof bowl.
- 3
Carefully drop in the hot stones with tongs, one at a time, until the water boils.
- 45 min
Leave for 3 to 5 minutes until the fish is cooked, remove the stones and serve.
- ✓
Serve. About 30 min from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
