The city of Mazatlán in the western state of Sinaloa set a Guinness World Record yesterday for the longest sashimi in the world. Measuring one kilometer, the sushi spectacle was prepared on Sunday, June 1, along the port’s coastal promenade, popularly called the malecón.

The event brought together hundreds of tourists and locals, who enjoyed more than 19,000 pieces of sashimi made with over two tonnes of fresh tuna, far surpassing the previous record of 5,343 pieces. 

The feat required 300 chefs to cut, assemble and serve the tuna. To qualify as a Guinness Record, all the sashimi had to be eaten on the spot. 

“We have confirmed the longest line of sashimi in the world, a great record, but also very difficult,” Judge Alfredo Arista Rueda, who accredited the achievement, said to attendees. “[The chefs] had to meet many health standards, and we were able to confirm that it was truly sashimi, that it was edible and that it was accessible to eat for all of you.”

The event was organized by Canaco Mazatlán, the National Gastronomic Council of Mazatlán (Conagam) and Club Vatel, with the aim of highlighting the city as an international culinary destination, and offsetting the perception of the state of Sinaloa as unsafe for visitors. 

Sinaloa, on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, has suffered from an unprecedented security crisis that began in September 2024 after the arrest of Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. While clashes between factions of organized crime have mainly affected the capital city of Culiacán, they have also impacted the tourism industry in other areas of the state, including the resort city of Mazatlán. 

Roberto Osuna, leader of the Conagam of Mazatlán, told the newspaper El Economista that events like the Guinness World Record seek to reverse that image and recover lost tourism. Osuna is also the owner of the restaurant La Vaca Lupe, which has been negatively impacted by the decline in tourists and diners. 

The sashimi event joins other efforts from the city to reactivate its tourism industry. In February, the port city launched the campaign “A Sea of Stories,” which aims to promote Mazatlán as a destination for sporting events, business meetings, weddings, fishing tournaments and more. 

“Today we celebrate our identity, the creativity of our people, the pride of having the largest tuna fleet in Latin America, and the talent and flavor of our cuisine,” Sinaloa Tourism Minister Mireya Sosa Osuna said at the event. 

Sosa said that this kilometer-long sashimi is a symbol of what civil society, the private sector, and the public sector can achieve when they collaborate.

During the event, ten musical bands performed live from the Letters of Mazatlán to Avenida del Mar, contributing to a festive and family-friendly atmosphere. Officials described the event as filled with “a great display of flavor and joy.”

With reports from El Economista