Skip to main content
totoaba

totoaba

9.9
A dried swim bladder from a large Gulf of California fish that people eat or use in traditional medicine
  • noun
  • /təˈtɔːbə/
  • US
: vejiga natatoria de totoaba
  • Collectors pay high prices for dried totoaba used in traditional remedies.

Examples

  • The totoaba is considered a delicacy in some cultures.

  • Many people believe that totoaba has medicinal properties.

  • The illegal trade in totoaba has endangered both the fish and the vaquita porpoise.

  • Some restaurants secretly serve dishes made with totoaba despite strict regulations.

  • Many traditional medicine practitioners use totoaba for its believed healing properties.

  • Chefs in some regions create expensive dishes that include totoaba as a rare ingredient.

  • The market for totoaba has grown due to its high value in both cuisine and folklore.

Surface Forms

totoaba singular
totoabas plural

Etymology

Totoaba is also used for the dried 'swim bladder' of that fish because local people long sold that part as a luxury food and for traditional medicine. That's why the same name refers both to the fish and to the dried product.