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These are crowdpleasing flavors, which no one would confuse with those of an American shrimp cocktail. Ketchup? Yes, but that’s where it ends. Mexican cooks gravitate toward tanginess (so there’s a good dose of lime here) and spice (I like Mexican Tamazula or Valentina or a chipotle hot sauce, though some cooks prefer chopped fresh serranos or jalapeños). There’s the aroma of fresh cilantro, the crunch of white onion and the creaminess of avocado. Tempering all these bold flavors with a little clam juice (or the broth from poaching the shrimp) brings everything into beautiful balance.

Now, about Fanta—orange Fanta. There are quite a few Mexican cooks who swear that a good douse of it adds something special to the sauce. Still others replace that artificial flavor with fresh orange juice. It’s not my thing, but it may be yours. What can be really delicious, I think—because it adds depth—is a little Worcestershire (salsa inglesa in Spanish), so feel free to add a teaspoon or two as many cooks do.