Ceviche

Ceviche is a dish of raw fish or shellfish marinated in citrus juice with onion and chili, native to Peru and recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is eaten along much of the Pacific coast of Latin America, with each country adding its own touches.

History

The roots of ceviche lie on the ancient Peruvian coast. At Caral, according to archaeologist Ruth Shady, raw fish was eaten with chili and salt, and the Moche people marinated fresh fish in the fermented juice of tumbo, a local sour passionfruit. This early form is called Proto-Ceviche, and its marinating often lasted hours in ritual settings but was brief among fishermen.

After the Spanish arrival, lime and lemon, citrus fruits from Asia, spread through the Americas and were added to the dish. The technique of macerating meat or fish in vinegar and spices, known as escabeche, brought Moorish influences from Spain, and the modern dish took shape in colonial Peru. In the 20th century, Japanese immigrants shortened the marinating time, and that quicker version became popular at home and abroad. Since the 1970s, short marination has been the norm.

Culture

In Peru ceviche is the national dish and is eaten mainly as a starter or at lunch, served with sweet potato, cassava, corn, seaweed or, at times, chilcano. In Ecuador it comes with patacones or chifles, in Colombia, Panama and Guatemala with saltine crackers, and in Mexico with corn tostadas. Ingredients vary: local chili is replaced by mustard in parts of Central America, while Mexican versions often add tomato, avocado or tomato sauce. Its presence today in restaurants and homes across the region makes it a symbol of coastal identity.

Trivia