If you hear about the pre-Incan Moche culture, you probably won’t have a clear image that comes to mind right away, but if we mention ceviche, you’ll surely know what kind of dish we’re talking about. In fact, it’s a preparation of raw fish or seafood marinated in lemon or orange juice with onion, salt, some kind of spice, garlic and spices. As with almost everything when we talk about recipes and gastronomy, each master has his own book, but all the preparations have an acidic, herbal and very fresh touch.
Ceviche is a Peruvian dish. It has its origins in the pre-Incan Moche culture, which marinated pieces of fish with chicha de jora, a fermented drink made from malted corn considered at that time to be a sacred concoction used in religious ceremonies and pre-Hispanic festivals. The chichero is the person in charge of preparing it. The result is similar to that of a beer and has a higher or lower alcohol content depending on the region in which we find ourselves (and the taste of the chichero).
Even before marinating fish with chicha de jora, between the 2nd and 5th centuries, it was made with the juice of the tumbo or curuba, an Andean fruit loaded with vitamin C and antioxidant properties. Its first preparations, they say, were made on the high seas when fishermen went out to fish and began to cut up the fish and cure it in sea water.
With the landing of the Spanish in American territory, lemon began to replace chicha de jora juice in some ceviche preparations and onion was also added.
Its name is said to come from the Quechua word ‘siwichi’, which means fish; although the etymological origin has also been placed in another Arabic word ‘sibech’, which is related to acidic flavours. It is also said to come from the word ‘cebo’, because sailors prepared it at sea; in fact, the spelling ‘cebiche’ -with a b- is also accepted.
In 2004 this Peruvian dish – but which we can find throughout the Pacific coast from Mexico to Chile, with important variations – was declared Cultural Heritage of the Region and has become the most famous recipe. In Peru, it is commonly consumed in all homes on a frequent basis, but the truth is that ceviche has crossed borders and has become very popular outside its borders.
It has also made a name for itself in Spain and can be found on the menu of many restaurants, even if they are not necessarily Peruvian or Mexican.
Properties of ceviche:
Ceviche is a very digestive dish with a high protein concentration that we could consume up to twice a week, although these are not its only benefits:
- It contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega 3 and 6, as well as phosphorus, selenium, iodine, zinc, potassium and vitamins A, D, E and K.
- It is also a dish with few calories but filling and nutritious.
- Accompanied by vegetables and lemon juice, it is low in fat.
- Lemon, onion and garlic are ingredients that promote the elimination of toxins and help maintain a dynamic metabolism.
- It may contain corn and sweet potato, making it a very complete dish with its portion of healthy carbohydrates.
An advert: As with other preparations with raw fish such as sushi, if you are pregnant or your immune system is weak, it is recommended that you first consult with your doctor to determine if you can consume it.
Very light, nutritious, with a high concentration of high-quality proteins and fresh, it is ideal for a summer lunch or dinner at home or away. We are going to give you a recipe so that you can treat yourself, with your family or to conquer the palates of your friends.
It can be a great choice at any time of the year, but especially now that the temperature is high and you don’t feel like having to turn on the stove to fill the table with delicious dishes. Ceviche can be prepared with any white fish – such as grouper, sole, corvina or sea bass – with a firm texture so that it is soft but not mushy. In addition, we find recipes with octopus, squid, shrimp and other seafood.
Another similar dish is tiradito, which is based on blue fish such as salmon and is cut in slices like Japanese sashimi.
Classic and vegan recipes
We are going to propose a classic recipe for Peruvian ceviche with sea bass, but you already know that you can make it with the white fish of your choice. It is very important for the success of this dish that the fish is of very good quality and fresh.
It is a quick recipe to prepare, it will take you about 10 minutes and then you will have to let it rest for at least another 30. For two people we need:
- 300 grams of corvina
- 1 red onion
- 1 fresh chilli or chili
- 2 limes -preferably- or lemons
- 50 grams of fresh cilantro and salt and pepper to taste
The first thing we will do is fillet the fish if it has not been done previously at the fishmonger’s, we season it with salt and pepper, and then we chop the onion, the chilli and the coriander. We chop the fish fillets and add the other ingredients together with the lime or lemon juice. We cover the container where we have prepared the mixture and we let it rest between 20 and 30 minutes.
To complete the dish, we can accompany it with sweet potato and corn soaked the night before, both cooked in water.
If you are vegetarian or veganDon’t worry, you can also enjoy a version of this dish without fish. One option is to prepare the recipe by marinating nori seaweed – which gives a soft and pleasant sea flavour – with firm-textured vegetables such as hearts of palm. In this type of preparation, ingredients such as avocado or mango pair very well with the vegetarian ceviche.
Source: www.eldiario.es
