Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - The tastes of Mexico, especially those of the state of Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta, and Riviera Nayarit, will be part of the opening cocktail of the Tianguis Turístico México 2012.

The event will take place on March 25 and will feature fare based on traditional and regional dishes, designed jointly by chef Patricia Quintana, Ambassador of Mexican Cuisine, and 18 of the most prestigious chefs of Bahía de Banderas.

The event will feature Chef Patricia Quintana, Ambassador of Mexican Cuisine along with 18 of the most prestigious chefs of Bahía de Banderas.

Aguachiles, torta ahogada, and many of the most popular local dishes will be originally reinterpreted and served gourmet-style during this celebration that will take place at Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.

Participants of the Tianguis Turístico México 2012 will arrive to this event on a boat, after cruising on Bahía de Banderas.

"We already did the menu tasting and we'll feature the best of the regional cuisine," stated chef Quintana. Ms. Quintana also listed some of the dishes that will be available.

"We will start with traditional oyster and octopus soups from San Blas; shrimp meatballs with taxtihuil from the Island of Mexcaltitán; scallops from Novillero; snapper ceviche Punta Mita-style; cuitlacoche soups with raicilla from the Jalisco mountains; and duck torta ahogada and cheese cones in the purest style of Guadalajara," reported the chef.

"And to round out the cuisine that we are preparing to delight our patrons; Roasted piglet, deer barbecue flautas, shrimp zarandeado style, peppers stuffed with guacamole in a piloncillo sauce, quelite gorditas, dry shrimp ceviche, lamb chops with oregano, ancho peppers and orange, as well as dorado and shrimp ceviche."

Additionally, regional fruit snacks and specialized cocktail mixology will be available.

The team that will be participating along with chef Quintana will be made up of: Thierry Blouet, Hugo Ahumada, Gerardo Sandoval, José Alfredo Jiménez, Abelardo Arrizon, Claudio Hotter, Sergio Chávez, Pablo Gómez, Jaime Rivera, Karla Morales, Betty Vázquez, Hugo Gutiérrez, Marco Valdivia, José Salas, Enrique García, Tlaltekiti Rivera, William Carballo, Ignacio Uribe, Bernhard Güth, and Juan Pablo Ramírez. Víctor Martinez will be in charge of cocktails.