What is ceviche?

[mrsadm]

First, how do you pronounce ceviche? Is it "se-vish" or "se-vish-ay"?

First I heard it comes from Mexico, a lime-marinated but uncooked seafood. Is that correct? Can it be a starter or main or both? Then I heard it's from other South American countries as well.

Why is it everyone on Top Chef is making it? Why is it so popular now?

[wattacetti]

It's the new sushi.

The second pronunciation is correct, and it's made throughout Latin and South America, though I think it actually originates from Peru. The "traditional" version consists of fish, limes, salt, chile and onion. After that you can go nuts.

I've made it as both a starter and a main, but I've seen it more commonly served as a starter only.

[Jaymes]

First, how do you pronounce ceviche?  Is it "se-vish" or "se-vish-ay"? 

First I heard it comes from Mexico, a lime-marinated but uncooked seafood.  Is that correct? Can it be a starter or main or both?  Then I heard it's from other South American countries as well. 

Why is it everyone on Top Chef is making it?  Why is it so popular now?

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Of course, actual pronounciations vary, even within countries, but I'd say the last syllable has a stronger sound than "shay." The pronounciation I've heard most often is more like "chay" - say-VEE-chay.

And as for why it's suddenly popular, who knows. I guess it's just part of a cycle, and in the US, its turn has come. But seviche/ceviche has been very, very popular in Latin/Spanish countries forever. You could even argue that it's the national dish of Peru. And I used to live in Panama, where they consider it a national dish as well. The truth is, you can find it anywhere in Latin America that has a coastline.

Edited August 17, 2007 by Jaymes (log)

[Peter Green]

When Doug Rodriguez ran his class at the WGF back in 2003, it seemed very much a Peru/Ecuador origin. And now, reading Shukman's The Lost City, with his description of a cevicheria on the coast, I can feel my mouth watering.

Coriander, lime juice, some chilis, and shallots. Let the fish sit in that for a short spell, and then off you go. I love doing this, but my wife's teeth are getting sensitive to the citrus, which is what "cooks" the fish.

You can play with infusions to do with this. Rodriguez worked one up in Bangkok that had coconut milk infused with the standard kaffir leaves, lemon grass, and galanga. This actually worked really well with mackerel.

His recommendation was to take ceviche with something corn based. Popcorn would work. It'll cut the bite of the lime on your teeth.

An interesting note, I've seen the basic recipe of ceviche used in duck and game as a marinade to take away some of the harshness from the meat before cooking.

I gotta go. Now that I've written this, I've gotta find a fish now and do things.

[SundaySous]

Using a basting brush a quick pass of Tequila after lime juice has done it's thing will take the "sting" out of the citrus. You end up with slightly bitter taste.

[Peter Green]

Using a basting brush a quick pass of Tequila after lime juice has done it's thing will take the "sting" out of the citrus. You end up with slightly bitter taste.

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Is there any benefit of using "good" tequila, or do you lose the flavour?

[Reignking]

I pronounce it seh-veech-ay.

While living in Mexico, I learned that they put lime (limon) on everything. Originally, it was to kill bacteria. Now, it is part of the cuisine, like having salt & pepper in an American house.

[SundaySous]

Is there any benefit of using "good" tequila, or do you lose the flavour?

Knowing me it was probably Jose Cuervo and not the Gold either. The chef that showed me this said they used a spray bottle at the restaurant. I've had Tequila marinated chicken and salmon also and I kinda wonder if they were doing it the same way.

The only reason I can think of going top shelf here might be to adjust the "bitter" taste. I smoke so I really don't notice the bitter some people do.

[Tess]

Don't forget the Hawaiian cousins of ceviche: poke and lomi lomi salmon. The lomi lomi salmon is salt-cured. The poke is not "cooked" with acid or anything else (usually)-- like ceviche, however, it sits in a dressing and is is a lovely refreshing side dish or starter. These days it's trendy like ceviche and also comes in a bunch of variations.

[Gabriel Lewis]

Have you ever had an excellent ceviche before? If you have, I think you would understand it's popularity. Of course, as Jaymes mentioned, part of that is just how certain fooods get poopularized in the U.S., but I think in ceviche's case it is deserved attention. A well made ceviche is an explosion of hot, salty, and sour flavors combined with the mouthfilling texture of "raw" seafood and the crunchy bite of raw onions. One thing to remember when making ceviche is that it requires a lot of good quality sea salt. It is intensely acidic, and without the necessary portion of salt to balance the flavors ceviche is just witheringly sour.

It's origins are highly disputed, but peruvians make a strong claim for it. One theory I have heard proposes that it was a method of preserving fish to bring into the Andean mountains, and that evolved as part of the court cuisine of the Incans in peru. Originally it was made there with the sour juice of some sort of tropical fruit, but it is now made with almost exclusively citrus (usually lime). If you're interested, I'd highly recommend douglas rodriguez's book Ceviche. As an aside, I think ceviches are strikingly similar to thai hot and sour seafood salads. Rodriguez's "creation" sounds like a pretty standard incarnation of a few thai hot and sour salads.

To clarify, the fish isn't "cooked" with heat, but it isn't really raw at the same time. It is left in a highly acid medium until the acid has fully penetrated the seafood, and if you use fish, it will actually turn white once ready. The texture remains quite similar to that of raw seafood, but it isn't really raw; highly acidic conditions will coagulate and affect the proteins in the seafood.

An interetesing variaton is tiradito, a sort of cross between sashimi and ceviche. Supposedly a product of the influence of a large japanese immigrant population in peru, the fish is sliced very thinly instead of cut into hunks, and cures much more quickly than traditional ceviche.

[Peter Green]

As an aside, I think ceviches are strikingly similar to thai hot and sour seafood salads. Rodriguez's "creation" sounds like a pretty standard incarnation of a few thai hot and sour salads.

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I'd agree, but I don't think it was so much that Doug thought it a creation, but rather a happy congruence of methods.

If you look at Lao cooking, lime juice is pretty much part of the Holy Trinity (or should that be tripitaka) of cooking: galanga, lemon grass, and lime juice. I recall that everything was getting an extra douse of lime when I was there. It's just a sensible thing, as the lime will kill bacteria (okay, it may miss the odd liver fluke....but....)

My favourite, that many people that eat with me in Bangkok cringe at, is the raw shrimp in marinade. What I have to explain to them is that, although the shrimp is still wonderfully raw, the lime and chili have pretty much cleansed it (at least I hope so.....maybe I should watch the first Alien movie again?)

Cheers,

Peter

[Dave Hatfield]

Where are all the San Franciscans? Ceviche has been an institution in the city as long as I can remember.

All the best seafood restaurants have always served it. I don't think anyone in SF would claim that it originated there, but if asked most would ascribe the origin as Italian.

Come on city residents lets hear from you.

[viva]

Most importantly, ceviche is the best in the summertime heat... no cooking required!

[jsmith]

If one is making cerviche at home, does one have to worry about parasites the way one does with sushi, or does the lime juice take care of that?

[wattacetti]

If one is making cerviche at home, does one have to worry about parasites the way one does with sushi, or does the lime juice take care of that?

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You're not making it with say, fish from Lake Ontario right? Given that most (if not all) of our available ocean fish has been frozen at some point, I wouldn't be that worried over the parasites. However, cod isn't exactly a species that I'd choose for this either.

There is a Peruvian fish called pequiero (sp?), but I use mostly striped bass (loup de mer), salmon and Patagonian toothfish.

[JAZ]

Where are all the San Franciscans? Ceviche has been an institution in the city as long as I can remember.

All the best seafood restaurants have always served it. I don't think anyone in SF would claim that it originated there, but if asked most would ascribe the origin as Italian.

Come on city residents lets hear from you.

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You're talking about California? I lived in San Francisco for more than 20 years and never noticed that the "best" seafood restaurants served it. It's popular, naturally, at Mexican and South American restaurants, but that's all that I saw. And I've never heard anyone claim it was Italian.

[melkor]

Where are all the San Franciscans? Ceviche has been an institution in the city as long as I can remember.

All the best seafood restaurants have always served it. I don't think anyone in SF would claim that it originated there, but if asked most would ascribe the origin as Italian.

Come on city residents lets hear from you.

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You're talking about California? I lived in San Francisco for more than 20 years and never noticed that the "best" seafood restaurants served it. It's popular, naturally, at Mexican and South American restaurants, but that's all that I saw. And I've never heard anyone claim it was Italian.

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I'd argue that raw fish rather than ceviche is a San Francisco institution, mostly because of the easy access to high quality fish. What seafood restaurants in SF are any good and don't have a raw fish item on the menu? Italians have long had crudo, I'd imagine that is what Dave Hatfield is referring to... Incanto and others have been serving it for years. There's even a great taco truck in Watsonville in a gas station parking lot that serves a seriously good ceviche de pescado for a buck and change a plate.

Edited August 16, 2007 by melkor (log)

[SundaySous]

I would think using frozen you would want to defrost in fridge and start from there.

[Jaymes]

The lime does NOT kill the parasites. Yes, you have to be careful.

[Peter the eater]

If one is making cerviche at home, does one have to worry about parasites the way one does with sushi, or does the lime juice take care of that?

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You're not making it with say, fish from Lake Ontario right? Given that most (if not all) of our available ocean fish has been frozen at some point, I wouldn't be that worried over the parasites. However, cod isn't exactly a species that I'd choose for this either.

I have a mental image of a beautifully prepared Lake Ontario coho salmon ceviche in a crystal goblet . . . with a two foot lamprey still attached.

I have had great meals at home by "cooking" raw seafood in an "acid bath" although I don't think I have ever tried it with fresh water fish. I generally slice the stuff super thin so I would probably see most parasites if they are present.

[SundaySous]

I have a mental image of a beautifully prepared Lake Ontario coho salmon ceviche in a crystal goblet . . . with a two foot lamprey still attached.

Now that's what we need around the Great Lakes a really good eal recipe. That and one for Asian Carp soon to be coming to a Great Lake near you.

[maggiethecat]

I have eaten ceviche exactly once in my life, at Frontera Grill in the packed Saturday-night bar waiting for a table. My now son-in-law chose it from the apps menu, and we balanced it on an elbow or a barstool -- the joint was that crowded.

It was mind bending, and this from a woman who holds to the shamefully gauche position that most is fish better cooked (or smoked) than raw. I don't know what Rick Bayless did, but the ceviche was limey, fresh in the mouth, beautifully textured and maybe, maybe tequilaized.

And my digestive system survived. Of course, Frontera probably turned this over like mad.

[melkor]

I have eaten ceviche exactly once in my life, at Frontera Grill in the packed Saturday-night bar waiting for a table. My now son-in-law chose it from the apps menu, and we balanced it on an elbow or a barstool -- the joint was that crowded.

It was mind bending, and this from a woman who holds to the shamefully gauche position that most fish better cooked (or smoked) than raw. I don't know what Rick Bayless did, but the ceviche was limey, fresh in the mouth, beautifully textured and maybe, maybe tequilaized.

And my digestive system survived. Of course, Frontera probably turned this over like mad.

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Ya know... Chicago has a whole slew of places that do a good job with raw fish...

[Adam Balic]

Where are all the San Franciscans? Ceviche has been an institution in the city as long as I can remember.

All the best seafood restaurants have always served it. I don't think anyone in SF would claim that it originated there, but if asked most would ascribe the origin as Italian.

Come on city residents lets hear from you.

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You're talking about California? I lived in San Francisco for more than 20 years and never noticed that the "best" seafood restaurants served it. It's popular, naturally, at Mexican and South American restaurants, but that's all that I saw. And I've never heard anyone claim it was Italian.

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I would guess that there is a confusion between "Escabeche" and "Ceviche" (the Wikipedia entry for the former is a case in point), or that the two dishes have blended over the years. Variations of escabeche exist all arounf the Med. (sometimes with name variations, sometime with local names) and preserving fish cooked fish in an acid is a pretty global technique (Obviously Ceviche isn't cooked in the conventional sense).

Oddly enough the origin of "Ceviche" is always given as a native Peruvian dish, but I would guess that the name of the dish at least must be related to the Spanish "Escabeche" which is a common cooking technique for fish and poultry. I'm not sure on this point, but I would think that citrus would have been introduced by the Spanish, so it would have to be a post-conquest dish?

[Domestic Goddess]

In the Philippines, we have our own version of the cerviche, called kinilaw. Spanish, portuguese and mexican tradesmen/sailors have brought the dish to my country during the galleon trade in the 1600's. There are different versions of the kinilaw, from simply cleaning and marinating the fish in cane vinegar to the addition of coconut milk. Kinilaw can be made from tuna, cod, flying fish (my mom's favorite), even big anchovies (my favorite). Of course, the anchovies are beheaded, gutted and filleted.

For my mom's recipe for kinilaw, I'd like to share Robyn's link to her blogsite EatingAsia. She and her hubby had the fortune of having my mom prepare kinilaw for them. The Kindness of Strangers (Kinilaw recipe included)

For me, kinilaw is best eaten with grilled pork chops or pork ribs and steamed rice. By the beach, with your hands.