“Vuelve a La Vida” literally means “come back to life”, and it is the name of a seafood cocktail that will make you do just that! Oysters, crab pulp, octopus, and shrimp are some of the ingredients used in this cocktail, which you can easily prepare at home for your guests. 
Some people claim that this recipe is originally from Venezuela, but to be honest, there is nowhere better than my beautiful port of Veracruz to eat the best “Vuelve a La Vida” you’ll ever taste!
This cocktail also works well as a “cure” for a hangover. High temperatures are nothing new to the coast of Veracruz, and that only incites the heavy drinking of very cold beers. Consequently, the hangover (or “resaca” in Spanish) is a common occurrence, and people use the Vuelve a La Vida cocktail as an antidote for this situation.
Besides that, there is nothing healthier than eating fresh seafood. Some say that this delicacy is an aphrodisiac dish, as its ingredients include shrimp and oysters. Seafood is known for being rich in zinc, a mineral responsible for the creation of testosterone in men. Additionally, the protein content of seafood is more easily absorbed by the human body than that of red meats.
OTHER SEAFOOD RECIPES:
HOW TO MAKE THE VERACRUZ SEAFOOD COCKTAIL “VUELVE A LA VIDA”
INGREDIENTS:
2 SERVINGS:
- 8 oz. Fresh shrimp with shells (6 oz. without shells)
- 3½ oz. oysters
- 3½ oz. crab pulp
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3½ oz. octopus or squid, cooked and diced*
- 3½ oz. chopped tomato
- 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
- ⅓ cup chopped red onion
- 1 tsp. Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp. Maggi seasoning sauce
- 4 tbsp. lime juice
- ½ avocado, sliced
- ⅔ cup orange soda (optional, see notes)**
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Saltine crackers, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE “VUELVE A LA VIDA” COCKTAIL
NOTES:
- * To cook octopus or squid, place it into boiling water with a little bit salt and pepper and one bay leaf. Cook until the octopus or calamari is tender. Octopus will take longer to cook.
- ** If you do not want to make the shrimp broth, or only have unpeeled shrimp, use the orange soda. You will need to add this in step two of the recipe.
- *** Some cooks use tomato juice from the “Clamato” brand instead of ketchup, or use a combination of the two.
DIRECTIONS:
- Rinse the shrimp and remove the peels, setting the shrimp aside. Fill a medium-size saucepan with water and add the shrimp peels. Bring the water to a boil, and season with salt and pepper and the oregano. Continue to boil, and once the water has reduced to a third of the original amount, add the shrimp in. Cook the shrimp for no more than one minute, as any more will cause the shrimp to reduce in size and lose all the properties we’re looking to obtain.
- After cooking, strain the shrimp broth. Season it with salt, and set it aside to cool.
- In a large serving glass (like the one in the picture), add the seafood ingredients: the shrimp, oysters (with their own juices), squid or octopus, and crab pulp. After this, add the lemon juice and Maggi sauce.
- Next, add the ketchup sauce and a cup of the shrimp broth and mix.
- Fill the remainder of the serving glass with more of the shrimp broth and add the diced tomato, red onion, and cilantro. Decorate with avocado and some shrimp, and add some habanero sauce (or your preferred salsa) if you like it spicy. Accompany with a lime wedge and some saltine crackers.
SEAFOOD COCKTAIL “VUELVE A LA VIDA”
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Fresh shrimp with shells 6 oz. without shells
- 3½ oz. oysters
- 3½ oz. crab meat
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3½ oz. octopus or squid cooked and diced*
- 3½ oz. chopped tomato
- 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
- ⅓ cup chopped red onion
- 1 tsp. Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp. Maggi seasoning sauce
- 4 tbsp. lime juice
- ½ avocado sliced
- ⅔ cup orange soda optional, see notes**
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Saltine crackers for serving
Instructions
- Rinse the shrimp and remove the peels, setting the shrimp aside. Fill a medium-size saucepan with water and add the shrimp peels. Bring the water to a boil, and season with salt and pepper and the oregano. Continue to boil, and once the water has reduced to a third of the original amount, add the shrimp in. Cook the shrimp for no more than one minute, as any more will cause the shrimp to reduce in size and lose all the properties we’re looking to obtain.
- After cooking, strain the shrimp broth. Season it with salt, and set it aside to cool.
- In a large serving glass (like the one in the picture), add the seafood ingredients: the shrimp, oysters (with their own juices), squid or octopus, and crab pulp. After this, add the lemon juice and Maggi sauce.
- Next, add the ketchup sauce and a cup of the shrimp broth and mix.
- Fill the remainder of the serving glass with more of the shrimp broth and add the diced tomato, red onion, and cilantro. Decorate with avocado and some shrimp, and add some habanero sauce (or your preferred salsif you like it spicy. Accompany with a lime wedge and some saltine crackers.
Notes
** If you do not want to make the shrimp broth, or only have unpeeled shrimp, use the orange soda. You will need to add this in step two of the recipe.
*** Some cooks use tomato juice from the “Clamato” brand instead of ketchup, or use a combination of the two.
Nutrition
We hope you enjoy this "Vuelve a la Vida" Seafood Cocktail!
Buen Provecho!
Gustavo Rodríguez
Awesome recipe! This is the real thing! Thank you Mely!
Katie Mullenax
This is stunningly beautiful. Would you recommend trying this recipe with previously frozen seafood? All the stores near me are having trouble stocking fresh options, so I've resorted to buying frozen online. I'm just curious if you think this will affect the final product. Thank you!
Mely Martínez
Hello Katie,
Yes, you can use frozen seafood.