Ceviche: Latin America’s Sashimi

Ceviche is a very popular side dish in the Americas made of raw fish marinated in citrus juice like lime or lemon. Although its origins including its name continue to be debated, it is generally accepted and believed that ceviche came from the coastal areas of Peru during the Spanish colonial era during which the Spaniards brought with them citrus fruits, the key ingredients in any ceviche dish.

Variations of ceviche differ in Central and South America which celebrate this special delicacy as part of their cultures and cuisine. In Ecuador, ceviche tend to be made from shrimp served in tomato sauce, and occasionally include other types of fish like oysters, octopus and crabs marinated with lime juice. Mexico enjoys their ceviche served in cocktails with tostada, while in Peru, traditional ceviche is a sea bass chopped in chunks and marinated for hours lime or bitter orange juice served with onions, peppers and salt.

Delicious, tangy and refreshing – ceviche is a must-try for any die-hard raw fish fan…no kidding! In fact when Maduro Media Group held its first Peruvian food workshop last year in November, the response towards the ceviche dish was fantastic – not a single leftover was spared by our learners. Julio Rodriguez from Peru who was the chef at the workshop, shares this simple Peruvian ceviche recipe that you can make with ingredients found in your nearest grocery store.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs white fish fillet or sea bass
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander (or parsley), crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon of minced fresh ginger
• 1 habanero pepper (if real Peruvian Aji Amarillo is unavailable)
• 8-12 fresh limes
• 1 red onion, cut in slices
• 1 fresh lettuce

Cooking Instructions

1. Cut the fish into small slices and put them in a bowl
2. Squeeze out all the juice from the fresh limes, ensuring that the seeds and juice pulps are separated.
   NEVER tear the membrane of the lime sections since this will make the lime juice bitter
3. Mix the juice with the coriander (or parsley) and minced ginger
4. Remove the seeds of the pepper and chop it into fine, thin slices
5. Add the lime juice mix, salt, pepper and pepper slices to the fish
6. Add in the onions and let the mixture marinate for 10 minutes or several hours, depending on your taste
7. Serve the ceviche on a lettuce leaf on a plate

About the Chef
Julio Rodriguez (left), an internet marketing specialist by choice and food lover by passion.

“I’ve always wanted to learn how to cook and eventually I had to. In 2009 I moved to the States (Chicago) to go to grad school, and while I was living there I realised how much I missed Peruvian cuisine. After grad school and thanks to my job, I had the liberty to fly back to Peru every couple of months, so while I was working I studied Peruvian cuisine for 2 years. Now that I am living in Singapore, I’ve been sharing my passion for Peruvian food with my friends and family.” – Julio Rodriguez

This article was published on Vida De Latinos’ online magazine, 1 December 2012.