My family moved to Mexico City when I was a teenager, and I fell in love with the city’s energy, the earthy smell of an afternoon downpour on the uneven streets, and the fruity, musky perfumes of the market. My first taco there, wrapped in a hot, soft, freshly made corn tortilla, tasted like the city felt: bursting with local flavor.

Years later, after a formal culinary education in France, I returned to Mexico and resumed my infatuation with tacos. I got to know regional takes on them, and eventually wrote a book about them (Just Tacos, Taunton Press 2011). Among my favorites were two very different types of fish tacos:crispy fried fish onesfrom the Baja Peninsula and amarinated grilled fish variety来自尤卡坦。

Baja, which juts into the Pacific Ocean in northern Mexico, is a mecca for deepsea fishing and home to fertile valleys cultivated with acres of vegetables, like the fresh, crunchy cabbage and radishes that adorn its local fish tacos. Its cuisine has been influenced by migrant workers, including a large Chinese population and a smaller Japanese contingent, both of whom often batter and deep-fry meats and vegetables. That may be why the fish in these tacos is coated in a light-as-air batter and fried. Drizzled with a creamy, mildly smoky lime-and-chipotle sauce, this style of taco is comforting and complex, with less heat than its Yucatecan counterpart.

In southern Mexico, the Yucatán Peninsula sits between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Its residents enjoy abundant seafood from a massive reef system. Baby shark, or cazón, is popular for fish tacos, although meaty mahimahi and swordfish are good substitutes. The region is also lush with tropical fruit trees, such as mangos and bitter oranges (a Spanish import), and vibrant with local spices, such as earthy red annatto seeds, used in traditional Mayan spice pastes. Those ingredients come together in a colorful taco filled with flavorful grilled fish, avocado, and a sweet-hot mango-habanero salsa. Try either for a vibrant taste of Mexico.

More Taco Recipes:For more tacos of every kind, as well as homemade tortilla recipes and drinks, check out ourTaco Party recipe slideshow.