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The first time I had ceviche, I had absolutely no idea what I was putting in my mouth. The cool, citrusy mounds of I-didn’t-know-what were piled on top of a tostada sprinkled with flecks of cilantro and bits of onion. It was at a taqueria in Las Vegas where there were no translations to tell me that I was eating raw fish. I thought that it might have been atypeof fish like trout or tilapia, but after doing some digging, I learned exactly what it is and that my delicious discovery was something I could make at home—no special ingredients and no special equipment needed.
What Is Ceviche?
Put simply, ceviche is a seafood “cooked” in an acid like lemon or lime juice. Raw seafood is cut into small pieces and marinated in citrus juice for about 15 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces). While no heat is applied to the fish, the citric acid denatures the flesh, transforming the transparent, raw pieces of fish into tender chunks of opaque seafood with a citrus kick.
Ceviche is a common dish eaten in Mexico and Central and South America. Most countries have their own traditions with how it’s prepared and eaten. Mexican ceviche mixes in ketchup and is served with tortilla chips, while in Central America, it’s served with soda crackers or a leaf of lettuce, and in Chile, with fresh bread. There are many different ways to make it, but fresh fish like mahi-mahi or sea bass is the most common central ingredient.
A Peruvian Dish
Peru claims ceviche as its national dish and has 11 different types based on the regions where they’re made. However, the standard Peruvian ceviche recipe calls for five ingredients: fish, red onion, lemon juice, chile peppers and salt. While most of us know fish ceviche (ceviche de pescado) andshrimp ceviche(ceviche de camarones), the other types that you would find in Peru are made with mangoes (no fish is used), octopus, squid, beef and Amazonian fish (fish that are only found in the Amazon River).
Learn to Make Ceviche at Home
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