Your Ultimate Vocab Guide to Seafood in Spanish
Knowing how to talk about seafood in Spanish is excellent for when you’re on vacation and want to order your favorite seafood dish.
No matter where you travel to in the Spanish speaking world, it’s fun to explore delicious local seafood while abroad! Ordering and dining at restaurants is great for cultural immersion and improving your Spanish learning experience.
Being able to order your favorite seafood in Spanish fluently is a wonderful milestone. In Latin America, people are generally friendly and patient when you’re learning Spanish and will be happy to help you out.
Keep reading to learn how to order seafood in Spanish and discover the many different dishes available!
Why Learn Seafood in Spanish Vocabulary?
Learning Spanish vocabulary is a great way to immerse yourself in the Spanish culture. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced student, learning seafood in Spanish vocabulary is a fantastic way to learn more about the ocean and the seafood people eat.
It’s interesting to get to know countries through nature. And, of course, you can eat delicious mariscos (seafood) in Spanish-speaking countries.
Coastal food is the best in Latin America; it’s affordable and fresh. You’ll often find fresh fish, stews, soups, broths, and other seafood dishes on the menu at restaurants.
Now, let’s get started!
Seafood in Spanish Vocabulary
It’s great to learn how fish and fishing cultures work in Spanish-speaking cultures. It’s excellent to learn these vocabulary words to relate to local people in many places in Latin America.
Many communities have evolved around seafaring lifestyles. Some have even had population booms due to modern commercial fishing.
Names of Fish in Spanish
la aguja azul – blue marlin
el atún de aleta amarilla – yellowfin tuna
la anchoa – anchovy
el atun – tuna
el bacalao – cod
la bandera bagre – barbo catfish
el blanco de nilo – a farm-raised perch
la cabrilla – sea bass
la carpa – carp
el dorado mahi mahi – dolphinfish
el huachinango – red snapper
el jurel – yellowtail
el lenguado halibut – sole
el pez lisa – mullet
el mero – garropa grouper
la mojarra – seabass
el pámpano – pompano
el pargo – perca perch
el pargo amarillo – yellowtail snapper
el pargo colorado – colorado snapper
el pargo prieto – dog snapper
el parquito – little perch
el peto – guahu wahoo
el pez – espada swordfish
el pez fuerte – amberjack
el riaditos – stripe grunts
el róbalo – snook
el salmón ahumado – smoked salmon
el salmón – salmon
la sardina – sardine
la sierra – mackerel
la trucha – trout
To review the names of more types of fish in Spanish, check out this blog post.
Miscellaneous Seafood
la almeja – clam
las anguilas – eels
el calamar – squid
el camarón – shrimp
el callo de hacha – vieira scallop
el cangrejo o la jaiba – crab
la langosta – lobster
el langostino – crawfish
las ostras – oyster
Additional Seafood in Spanish Terms
el ala – fin
el filete – boneless piece
el trozo – thick slice
las escamas – scales
sin cabeza – without head
las espinas – pin bones
los mariscos – seafood
el pescado – fish
ahumada/o – smoked
How to Order Food in a Restaurant
Learning how to order seafood in Spanish is helpful for traveling. If you don’t have a trip to Latin America or Spain planned, try role playing at home. Creating scenarios is an excellent way to practice Spanish. By role playing real-life scenarios, you’ll be ready when the real thing happens.
Order yourself a delicious langosta (lobster) and enjoy a wonderful and luxurious meal close to the water. It’s always best to order seafood close to the sea or a lake so that it’s as fresh as possible. Often, filets and whole fish are served up on a plate with a side of rice or potatoes and salad, much like in the U.S.
Here are some vocabulary words that will help you order in a restaurant:
frito – fried
hervido – boiled
al horno – baked
a la parrilla o a la plancha – grilled
a la sal – salted
al vapor – steamed
al ajillo – in garlic sauce
al escabeche – marinated
empanizado – breaded
rebozado – battered
Fish caldos are common to find in different regions of Latin America. They are stews or soups that are flavorful and food of different seafood in Spanish ingredients that you can name and see how many you can identify and name.
Ceviche de pescado is a traditional dish from Peru that has become enormously popular throughout Mexico, Central America, and South America. It’s not cooked but rather cured with lime juice and served with natural ingredients.
Here are some more liquid-based fish foods:
Sopa de pescado – Fish soup
Sopa de camaron – Shrimp soup
Sopa de mariscos – Seafood soup
Caldo de pescado – Fish soup or broth
Caldereta de pescado – Fish stew
Sancocho de pescado – Fish soup
Ordering Seafood in Spanish
Here’s a sample conversation for you to study and practice.
Mesero: Bienvenido a Cerca del Mar. ¿Qué le gustaría ordenar?
Martín: ¿Tienen caldo de mariscos?
Mesero: Claro que sí.
Martín: ¿Qué ingredientes tiene?
Mesero: Tiene camarón, langosta, pescado y vegetales.
Martín: Se ve delicioso.
Mesero: Lo es. ¿Quisiera uno?
Martín: Por supuesto.
Mesero: Enseguida. ¿Quiere algo de tomar?
Martín: Gracias. Un agua mineral por favor.
Mesero: ¿Algo más?
Martín: Solamente. Gracias
Waiter: Welcome to Cerca del Mar. What would you like to order?
Martín: Do you have a seafood stew?
Waiter: Yes, we do.
Martín: What ingredients does it have?
Waiter: It has shrimp, lobster, fish, and vegetables.
Martín: It looks delicious.
Waiter: It is. Would you like one?
Martín: Of course.
Waiter: Right away. Anything to drink?
Martín: Thanks. A mineral water, please.
Waiter: Anything else?
Martín: That’s it. Thank you
Under the Sea
Next time you’re close to the water, try to spot the different seafood in Spanish vocabulary. It’s a great way to test your skills and order your favorite dishes.
I used to love eating seafood before I became a vegetarian. Now, I prefer to go scuba diving and watch the lovely marine life in the ocean. But, I do remember how amazing seafood is and how fresh it is in Latin America. If you love talking about food as much as I do, sign up for a free class and practice your seafood in Spanish knowledge with a native Spanish teacher today!
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