What is in a Peruvian ceviche?
Raw fish, the juice of the small green Peruvian lime, red onion, ají and salt; the lime cooks the fish, which changes colour in about fifteen minutes. It comes with camote (sweet potato), choclo (corn on the cob) and cancha (toasted corn), and the juice, leche de tigre, is drunk at the end.
A plate of ceviche
The essentials
- el pescado crudo raw fish, which the lime "cooks"
- el jugo de limón the juice of the small green Peruvian lime
- la cebolla roja red onion
- el ají chilli, the Andean and Caribbean word
- la sal salt
On the side
- el camote sweet potato — A Nahuatl word.
- el choclo corn on the cob — From Quechua.
- la cancha toasted corn — From Quechua.
To drink at the end
- la leche de tigre tiger's milk: the lime-and-fish juice, served in a small glass
The three Peruvian chillies
- el ají amarillo yellow chilli
- el rocoto rocoto
- el ají panca panca chilli
- Ceviche is raw fish, lime juice, red onion, ají and salt; the lime cooks the fish, which changes colour in about fifteen minutes.
- It is served with camote, choclo and cancha, and the juice, leche de tigre, is drunk at the end.
- Ají amarillo, rocoto and ají panca are the three Peruvian chillies, and almost no dish exists without them.
Pescado crudo, jugo de limón, cebolla roja, ají y sal.Raw fish, lime juice, red onion, chilli and salt.
El limón lo cocina. En quince minutos el pescado cambia de color.The lime cooks it. In fifteen minutes the fish changes colour.
Es la leche de tigre: el jugo del ceviche. Lo toman al final.That's the leche de tigre: the juice from the ceviche. You drink it at the end.
More about Ceviche and Peruvian cuisine
- Why is ceviche eaten at lunch and not at night in Peru?
- Why is Peruvian food so good?
- How do you order ceviche in Spanish in Lima?
- Ceviche and Peruvian cuisine