Ceviche is (well, most often) raw seafood marinated in lime juice and one of the most memorable and not to mention delicious dishes from Peru and Ecuador.
Being a guidebook writer I have do quite a bit of traveling. A lot of I has nothing to do with the book, however, but consists of side trips to keep me entertained. One, as of late, has been trying Peruvian cuisine. Not every single dish, but I have been trying to get to know a certain dish quite well: Ceviche.
The dish consists of raw seafood, most often a mild flavored white fish, which is essentially cooked (via chemical reaction) in limejuice. So it isn’t exactly raw like sushi is raw. Now the spicy part. Ceviche is served with diced chilies mixed in with the seafood. Peruvians serve it spicy hot. Filled with Aji. Mixed in it is yucca, sweet potato, corn, and onion. The fish must be put in the lime only minutes before serving, as the food must be eaten as the chemical reaction is taking place.
Peruvian ceviche is served with a spoon to drink the remnants of the dish, also known as Leche de Tigre, or Tiger's Milk, which is thought to cure hangovers. On Sunday mornings after a long night of partying in Lima, ceviche is often the best selling menu item.
The Ecuadorian version, is oily and soupier, and served with popcorn instead of corn and in my opinion not nearly as good. Tiradito, a modern cousin, is usually served in bigger pieces and served in a sauce made of cheese and chilies. Ceviche can also be made of poultry such as chicken or duck, as it is often found in the north of Peru, and also with mushrooms.
Up and down the Pacific coast, in every small pueblo or city of 8 million (Lima) there are different recipes. In Lima, the best is in the southern town of Chorrillos or some of the modern restaurants in Miraflores such as La Mar or La Rosa Nautica. In the north in Tumbes, Black Conch ceviche is a specialty. In the Andes it's made with trucha, or trout. In the Amazon it's made of Paiche, a 9-foot long freshwater fish.
The history of ceviche dates back to Pre-Colombian civilizations. When the Spanish arrived on the continent they found the Incas marinating fish in chicha, a fermented maize beer, which had the same effect as the lime.
Ceviche is gaining popularity abroad (now on the menu, along with tiradito, at Nobu in NYC). I am still trying new places and recipes, almost daily when I am in Peru, in what has become an obsession for me.
