Peru is one of the most famous places in the world for its history and its uniquely beautiful geography. Machu Picchu, located in the Cusco region of Peru, dates back to the 15th century Mayan culture. Year after year, tourists and students flood to the country to scale the mountainous slopes of the region, gaining access to a city forever in the sky.
While Peru is undoubtedly most well known for its history, it’s also becoming increasingly well known for its Hispanic food. Offering unique versions of arroz con pollo, unique postres, like tres leches and Peruvian lime pie, and a wide variety of other recetas specific to the region, it should be no wonder why this South American gem’s cuisine is finding its way to the world stage.
Undoubtedly, there is no better example of this transition than ceviche. Eaten in Mexico, Argentina, and many other Hispanic countries, ceviche got its start in Peru before taking the world by storm. If you love this Peruvian treasure which combines the bounty of the ocean with the citric jewels of the land, here are three things to absolutely keep in mind if ever you want to replicate authentic ceviche at home.
Start with High Quality Seafood
If you remember no other tip from this list, make sure you remember this one. The single best way to make or break a ceviche recipe, according to The Guardian, is with the seafood you choose for your dish. You can use shrimp, trout, seabass, or any other meaty seafood, but it absolutely has to be fresh. Using fresh fish will not only produce the very best flavor in your ceviche, but it will also help to ensure you avoid any health concerns that may come with preparing fish in this way.
Don’t Sacrifice Flavor for Convenience
As SeriousEats.com writes, choosing the herbs and citrus for your ceviche is just as important to the overall quality as the type of seafood you use. Most popularly, lime and lemon juice are used to cure the ceviche. Orange juice and grapefruit juice are also used on occasion. While the juice of each of these fruits is easy to buy in pre-squeezed, pre-packaged varieties, you will be giving up a ton of flavor by using bottled lime juice, for example, over something you’ve squeezed for yourself. Just remember that the less processed your ingredients are the more flavorful and authentic your ceviche will be.
Ceviche without Patience is a Recipe for Disaster
The most important step in completing a great ceviche is giving it the time it needs, both for the fish to cure in the citric acid and for all the flavors to mingle and meld together. Subsequently, as The Huffington Post correctly points out, not leaving your ceviche in the fridge to chill and marinate long enough, at least two hours, is a surefire way to wind up with a less than delectable dish. Further, you need that marinating time to ensure the fish is cooked and any undesirable bacteria are killed off by the acid bath.
Making a great ceviche is about the fish, the supplementary ingredients, and about the time you give them to work together. Applying these tips in unison, you can create a ceviche that is authentic, delicious, safe, and entirely your own. Continue.
