Torta Ahogada: Guadalajara’s Most Representative Dish
If you have visited Puerto Vallarta or any other Mexican destination and immersed yourself in the local gastronomy and culture, you have probably tried tortas, typical lunches similar to sandwiches prepared with a special bread called bolillo, which is stuffed with ingredients such as jam, shredded beef, refried beans, panela cheese, among others
Tortas are usually sold at street stands, markets and eateries throughout the country, and are part of many locals’ daily diet. In Puerto Vallarta, folks can also savour them at local, traditional eateries called loncherías, which serve homemade fast-food lunches.
Among types of tortas, there is a particular one that is quite popular in the region, due to the fact that it is served in a spicy, tomato-and-chili-based broth: it is called torta ahogada (drowned torta). Originally from Guadalajara, it is prepared with a different variety of bolillo called birote, which is more salty than sweet and has a crunchy crust. This lunch is traditionally filled with chopped, fried pork and served with pickled red onions and lime.
According to a traditional story, the torta ahogada was invented in the early 1900’s by Luis De La Torre, a tapatío—as people from Guadalajara are called—who had a small food stand in one of the city’s central plazas back then. One day, a customer requested a little bit of spicy sauce on his torta but Mr. De La Torre accidentally dropped it into the sauce container. Since the customer liked this particular sauce so much, he asked to have his torta served accordingly. Other people waiting in line followed suit. Soon enough, De La Torre decided to feature Torta ahogada on the menu. Nowadays, this is one of the city’s most representative dishes and an important part of its culinary heritage.
There are but a few establishments in Puerto Vallarta that serve this unique lunch, such as La Tortuga Tapatía (tortuga, which means turtle, is also a nickname commonly used for tortas). We visited this venue located on González Gallo Avenue, near the Macroplaza Vallarta shopping center, in order to meet its young owner, Antonio Saucedo, and learn more about the authentic recipe.
Torta ahogada served at La Tortuga Tapatía.
Originally from Guadalajara, Antonio and his family moved to Puerto Vallarta over 20 years ago and opened La Tortuga Tapatía in 1994. While explaining the process of putting together a torta ahogada, he said they actually prefer to bring the birotes they use from Guadalajara—which is five hours away by automobile—as bread available in Puerto Vallarta bakeries tends to crumble when dipped in a sauce.
“We bake each birote in the oven until golden brown and then fill it with fried pork. Diners are able to choose between a non-spicy, tomato-based salsa and the traditional torta ahogada salsa, made with a dried chili pepper called chile de árbol, which is very hot,” he says.
According to Antonio, beer is the perfect pairing with this dish, but many people prefer to have a carbonated beverage as a non-alcoholic option. La Tortuga Tapatía also serves vegetarian variations, such as tortas ahogadas stuffed with avocado and panela cheese.
Whether you are a Mexican food enthusiast or just feel curious about this unique torta, we encourage you to visit La Tortuga Tapatía for a little taste of Guadalajara’s culinary treasures. The restaurant has three locations:
Macroplaza
Ave. González Gallo 123 (opposite to Macroplaza Walmart’s entrance)
Contact: (044) 322 149 30 65
Centro
Morelos 883, El centro.
Contact: (044) 322 182 00 47
El Libramiento
Av. Paseo de las Palmas S/N, Colonia Barrio Santa María.
Contact: (044) 322 152 5248
When asked if he would recommend tortas ahogadas at other establishments in Puerto Vallarta, Antonio Saucedo recommended Tortas Ahogadas Toño, located at Lisboa 136, Colonia La Vena (near Colonia Versalles).
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