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 fish, altering the protein 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. The dressing also includes some local variety of chili pepper or chili, replaced by mustard in some parts of Central America. The marinade usually also includes sliced or chopped onions and chopped cilantro, though in some regions such as Mexico, tomatoes, avocadoes, and tomato sauce may be included.
Ceviche is often eaten as an appetizer; when eaten as a main dish, it is usually accompanied by starchy side dishes that are designed to balance its acidity, such as sweet potato, lettuce, maize, avocado, or fried plantains, among various other accompaniments.Rodriguez, The Great Ceviche Book, pp. 5–10
Etymology
The first documented evidence of the term 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 , which derives from Mozarabic , in turn descending from Andalusian Arabic , which also derives from Classical Arabic (, meaning meat cooked in vinegar).Hans Wehr, Arabic–English Dictionary. Otto Harrassowitz KG: 1994. Page 486 It is ultimately from the unattested Middle Persian , from ("vinegar")"sik" in David Neil MacKenzie (1986), A Concise Pahlavi Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press, and ("soup"), which also yielded the Persian word (, a soup made with meat and vinegar). in Dehkhoda Dictionary Another hypothesis is that it derives from the Quechua word , meaning fresh fish.
The name of the dish is spelled variously as , , , or , 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 and .Harrison, Beyond Gumbo, p. 85
History
Proto-Ceviche 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. In Ecuador, it may have had its origins in coastal civilizations, as Ecuador shares geographic and cultural heritages (such as the Inca Empire) and a wide variety of fish and shellfish that are also native to Peru. The Ecuadorian position traces the origin of ceviche to the harvest of the Spondylus shell in the years 3500 BC to 1500 BC in the Valdivia culture, whose diet used marine products that were later used in ceviche. The Spanish, who brought citrus fruits such as the lime from Europe, may have originated the dish in Spain with roots in Moorish cuisine. Peruvian historian Juan José Vega supports the theory put forward by Fernando Rueda García, historian of Málaga and a member of the Andalusian Ethnology Commission, who suggests that it was Moorish slaves who created ceviche by mixing local and foreign ingredients that were arriving on the Iberian Peninsula. However, archeological records and many researchers support pre-Hispanic origins, which suggest that foods resembling ceviche may have been indigenous to western South America as early as 2,000 years ago.
Colonial and modern ceviche The modern style of ceviche recognized globally 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.Rodriguez, The Great Ceviche Book, p. 3Peschiera, Cocina Peruana, p. 35 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.Revolución de los gustos en el Perú pp. 80–81 The Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio further explains that the dominant position that Lima held throughout four centuries as the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru, which at one point included most of western South America, allowed for popular dishes such as ceviche to be brought to other administrative provinces in the region, and in time becoming local cuisine incorporating regional flavors and styles.The dish was primarily popular in the Pacific coastal regions of western South America, but with the help of globalization it has become immensely popular across Northern and Central America as well.
Preparation and variants 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.Benson et al. Peru p. 78 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.
South America 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. The mixture was traditionally marinated for several hours and served at room temperature, with chunks of corn on the cob and slices of cooked sweet potato. Earlier preparation methods likely involved longer curing times, closer to pickling, before the adoption of citrus introduced after Spanish contact. Regional or contemporary variations include garlic, fish bone broth, minced Peruvian ají limo, or the Andean chili rocoto, toasted corn or cancha and yuyo (seaweed). A specialty of Trujillo is ceviche prepared from shark (tollo or tojo). Lenguado (sole) is often used in Lima. The modern version of Peruvian ceviche, similar to the method used in making Japanese sashimi, consists of fish marinated for a few minutes and served promptly. It was developed in the 1970s by Peruvian-Japanese chefs, including Dario Matsufuji and Humberto Sato. Many Peruvian cevicherías serve a small glass of the marinade, which is called leche de tigre or leche de pantera, as an appetizer along with the fish.
According to an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) study of innovation in Peruvian cuisine and its connection with Peruvian cultural diversity (2022),Julio Elías, Alvaro Garcia, Ian Mount y Maia Schiling, 2022. "Analysis of Innovation in Peru's Gastronomic Industry ", Inter-American Development Bank. the great variety of ceviches offered by Peruvian marine cuisine is an example of the gastronomic impact of cultural diversity throughout its territory, in which fishers, farmers, and chefs come together. In his 2015 book Ceviche Power,Acurio, Gaston. 2015. Ceviche Power. Planeta. Gaston Acurio documents the different nuances through a tour of the ceviche route through Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Ancash, the Lima coast, Lima, Ica, Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna. This great diversity has motivated chefs to create new types of ceviches.