Ceviche

December 15, 2014

Classic Ceviche: Fish, Aji limo, Lime, Choclo (Peruvian Corn), Sweet potatoes, Red onions.

Personally, I never knew it and besides me being a chef and all I'm still learning a lot of things and the food world. About a year and a half while working in the USA I met this lady Andrea from Peru in South America. She introduced me to ceviche and all the ingredients they add to it, but I didn't get the whole cooking thing.

What I knew was that on the classic ceviche they use white fish most of the times and one spicy chilli which they blend into the mixture called "leche de tigre" or "tigger's milk" and mix it with the fish. So I asked if we going to fry it and she said "no we cook the fish with lime for a few minutes then it's done".

"Aji Amarillo" and "Aji Limo" are the most popular chillis for ceviche

Peruvian Lime, really acid.

Where she comes from, Peru it's a normal thing to have it and there are places where it's expensive depending on the kind of fish you like. Friends and family enjoy it on a daily as for lunch or in the evenings. Different places do it differently, some of then use seafood like octopus, shrimps, prawns, etc.

Silverside fish ceviche

Andrea's best friend, Deborah shared a picture enjoying it with local beer this afternoon

"Ceviche Nikkei", made with tuna, it is a fusion of peruvian and japanese food.

You can even make ceviche for vegan people using tomatoes and mushrooms instead of fish.

I didn't know the whole history behind it but I know that it's nice and you can play around with. When doing it for yourself add what you like and the type of chill you prefer, as you can see in the previous pictures. Recently she was telling me that ceviche is made in all the coast of the Pacific ocean, and every country has their own way to make it. The origin is not very clear but investigations shows that it was made on the north part of Peru 2000 years ago, even before the Inca Empire.

Ceviche at Asia de Cuba

From the time I met her I never thought that I would be actually making ceviche at my next job and it would be so different to how we do it where I work and what we use, we have countless combinations and differents/ easy ways to make one love it.

She gave me this book called Ceviche from peruvian chef Martin Morales.

Nowadays, she is working at one of the tops restaurants in latinamerica called Astrid&Gaston Casa Moreyra, where they of course serve ceviche. The owner, famous chef Gaston Acurio, is the responsible for the current popularity of this dish. This restaurant is a must if you visit Peru.