ceviche

The tradition & historical record

Ceviche, cebiche, sebiche, or seviche is a traditional cold dish consisting of raw fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings. Different versions of ceviche are part of the culinary cultures of various Latin American countries along the Pacific Ocean where each iteration is considered native, including Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. Most notably, ceviche is considered the national dish of Peru and is recognized by UNESCO as an expression of Peruvian traditional cuisine and an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Unlike Japanese sashimi, which is served completely unaltered, the seafood in ceviche is marinated in fresh citrus juice—typically lemon or lime. The citric acid denatures the protein molecules in the fish, altering their structure, causing the flesh to turn opaque and firm. While this process mimics the look and texture of heat-cooked fish, the seafood remains structurally raw, as acid marination does not preserve the fish or kill pathogens the way true heat-cooking or curing does. While the fish is typically marinated in lemon or sour lime juice in contemporary preparation, ancient Andean coastal inhabitants used juices from native plants like the banana passionfruit (known locally as tumbo) before the introduction of citrus fruits to the Andean region during 16th century. ¹

The first documented evidence of the term ceviche is from 1820, in the patriotic song "La Chicha," considered the first Peruvian national anthem. According to the Royal Spanish Academy, the word might have the same etymology as the Spanish term escabeche, which derives from Mozarabic izkebêch, in turn descending from Andalusian Arabic assukkabáǧ, which also derives from Classical Arabic sakbāj (سكباج, meaning meat cooked in vinegar). It is ultimately from the unattested Middle Persian *sikbāg, from sik ("vinegar") and *bāg ("soup"), which also yielded the Persian word sekbā (سکبا, a soup made with meat and vinegar). Another hypothesis is that it derives from the Quechua word siwichi, meaning fresh fish. The name of the dish is spelled variously as cebiche, ceviche, seviche, or sebiche, but the most common spelling is ceviche with v, such as in Peru, which is an alternative spelling accepted by the Royal Spanish Academy. There are also other local variants of the name, including cerbiche and serviche. ¹

Before the arrival of Europeans, the ancient civilizations along the Pacific coast of South America practiced a form of "Proto-Ceviche". The term "Proto-Ceviche" refers to the historical predecessor of the modern version of the dish. These early versions of the dish relied on varying types of local acids and preservatives that were used long before the introduction of limes to the Andean region. Various explanations of the dish's origins exist, with Peruvian researchers and archaeological evidence strongly favoring a pre-Hispanic origin within coastal civilizations. According to some historic sources from Peru, the Caral civilization that developed in central Peru between 3500 BC to 1800 BC has left evidence of the use and consumption of raw Peruvian anchovy with chili and sea salt, according to the investigations of archaeologist Ruth Shady. Another theory is that ceviche originated among the Moche, a coastal civilization that began to flourish in present-day northern Peru nearly 2,000 years ago. The Moche used the fermented juice from the local banana passionfruit (known locally as tumbo) instead of lime or lemon juice which had not been introduced to the region until colonial times. Recent investigations further show that during the Inca Empire, fish was marinated with chicha, an Andean fermented corn beer. Different chronicles also report that along the Incan coast before the arrival of Spaniards, fish was consumed with sea salt and ají (South American chili peppers). Historical chronicles note that this type of "Proto-Ceviche" was a staple along the Incan Coast, highlighting a long standing tradition of consuming "acid-cooked" fish. Its origin is also often attributed to places ranging from Central America to Polynesia. ¹

The modern style of ceviche is a direct result of a culinary fusion that occurred during the Spanish colonial era in the 16th century. This period saw the combination of New World ingredients with Old World cooking techniques. Historians concur that the modern iteration of ceviche originated during colonial times in present-day Peru, specifically through the introduction of limes, onions, and vinegar. The technique of macerating (softening or breaking down a food by leaving it in liquid, in this case citrus) raw fish and meat in vinegar, citrus, and spices (escabeche) was brought to the Americas from Spain and is linked to the Moorish (Muslim) heritage in Spanish cuisine. During the 20th century, Japanese immigrants in Peru adapted ceviche by shortening the amount of time the raw fish was marinated in citrus; this version of the dish proved popular both in Peru and abroad. ¹

Ceviche is marinated in a citrus-based mixture, with lemons and limes most commonly used. In addition to adding flavor, the citric acid causes the proteins in the seafood to become denatured, resulting in the dish appearing to be cooked without the application of heat. Because the dish is eaten raw and not cooked with heat, it must be prepared fresh and consumed immediately to minimize the risk of food poisoning. Acid marinades will not kill bacteria or parasitic worms, unlike the heat of cooking. Traditional-style ceviche was marinated for about three hours. Modern-style ceviche, popularized in the 1970s, usually has a very short marinating period. The appropriate fish can marinate in the time it takes to mix the ingredients, serve, and carry the ceviche to the table. Accompaniments to ceviche vary greatly by region: in Ecuador, ceviche is served with fried plantains, popcorn, or tostones; in Colombia, Panama, and Guatemala, it is served with saltine crackers, though in the north cookies or toast are used as a garnish; in Mexico, it is served with corn tostadas or crackers; in Panama, the spicy chombo chili pepper is sometimes added to taste; and in Peru, it is served with boiled root vegetables (such as sweet potatoes, cassava, or rarely potatoes), grains or seeds such as boiled or roasted corn, legumes, fried plantains, seaweed, or lettuce; sometimes it can also be accompanied by chilcano (broth made from fish heads). Most Latin American countries have given ceviche its own touch of individuality by adding their own particular garnishes. ¹

In Peru, ceviche has been declared part of the country's national heritage and has even had a holiday declared in its honor. The classic Peruvian ceviche is composed of chunks of raw fish, marinated in freshly squeezed key lime, with sliced onions, chili peppers, salt and pepper. Corvina or cebo (sea bass) was the fish traditionally used. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Ceviche”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

ceviche is traditional dish in Peru prepared with raw fish marinated, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 14 external registers, which can be verified through the citation. ²