ceviche

Ceviche, cebiche, or seviche is a dish of Peruvian origin - a kind of seafood salad. One theory suggests that it got its name from the Quechua "siwichi"; another theory suggests it is derived from the Arabic term "sibesh" (acidic aromatic food) and the participation of Moorish women that came to Peru during the viceroyalty, hence the popular name Tapadas Limeñas. What specialists do know is that the dish was invented somewhere in the north coast of Peru, somewhere between Lambayeque and La Libertad as a mestizo inspiration involving the aromatic and acidic touch of the Moorish cuisine and the spicy touch of the Andean aboriginal cuisine.

Apart from the many traditional Peruvian cebiches the dish has gained popularity in the last century and is now part of the Mexican cuisine, in Central America and other parts of South America, especially Ecuador.

The proteins in the seafood are denatured by the acid in the dressing, "cooking" the fish without heat - making it taste more like other cooked dishes, and less like pure raw fish dishes like Japanese sashimi.

Traditional ceviche

In its classic form, it is composed of chunks of raw fish, lime or bitter orange (naranja agria) juice, chopped onion, and minced Peruvian ají limo and also common Andean rocoto.The mixture is marinated and served at room temperature with cancha (toasted kernels of maize), usually referred to as canchita, chunks of corn-on-the-cob, slices of cooked sweet potato and/or white potato, and yuyo (seaweed). While the dish is believed to have originated in Peru after the arrival of the Spanish (bringing citrus fruits), it is also popular throughout the rest of Latin America, with many regional variations.

The marinade used in ceviche is typically citrus based, with lemons and limes being the most commonly used. In addition to adding flavor to the ceviche, the acid in the citrus marinade pickles or "cooks" the fish, so by the time the ceviche is served, the fish is no longer technically raw.

A specialty of the traditional central coast (ie, Lima, Trujillo) is cebiche prepared from shark (tollo or toyo). Many Peruvian cevicherías serve a small glass of leche de tigre or leche de pantera as an appetizer. This is a small quantity of the lime juice marinade.

According to mariners, the original recipe of Cebiche is as follows: fresh sliced fish (white meat fish is better), fresh squeezed lime juice, chopped onions, salt and chili (ají limo or rocoto). Combine these five ingredients and you'll have the original Cebiche.

Traditional variations

Ceviche is also prepared with cooked shellfish (shrimp, mussels) (ceviche mixto) as well as cooked octopus (ceviche de pulpo).

In the southern style (ie, Arequipa), chopped celery is customarily added to the marinade.

In the northern style of Peru (Piura, Tumbes and Lambayeque) ceviche is also prepared with concha negra, raw black clams or in Piura rare raw white clams (not recommended if cholera is prevalent). The shrimp cebiche is also popular and can also be seen in the southern coast from fresh water shrimp. Most cebiches from the north are accompanied by chifles (fried banana flakes) basically the old city of Piura and Tumbes and spiced up in zarandaja beans in the Lambayeque version.

In Cajamarca, cebiche made from a bean-like vegetable, yoyu (known as tarwí in southern Peru) is also prepared. In southern Peru, (ie, Cuzco) cebiche prepared from freshwater fish (trout and pejerréy) can also be found.

In the vicinity of Huancayo, cebiche with artichokes can be found in artichoke season.

In the Amazon basin, especially Iquitos city, cebiche is made from dorado fish.

Modern style variations

In Ecuador the ceviche tends to be made with ketchup or some tomato sauce.

In Mexico and Central America it is served in cocktail cups with crackers, or as a tostada topping and taco filling. Shrimp, octopus, squid, tuna, and mackerel are popular as bases for Mexican ceviche.

Recipes

Peruvian Cebiche Recipe (the original)

External links