Cebiche

Cebiche starts with the fish, which must be extremely fresh. The flesh, from white fish such as sole, corvina or cabrilla, is cut into cubes and seasoned with salt. Freshly squeezed lime juice is poured over it, and in a few minutes the surface of the fish becomes opaque and firm, as if cooked. Thin slices of red onion, ají limo or another chili, cilantro and, in many homes, a little garlic are added. The broth left in the plate, sour and spicy, is the leche de tigre, which many people drink at the end or request separately. The dish is served with boiled sweet potato, large-kernel boiled corn and cancha, crunchy toasted corn.

The curing time has changed over the years. In many older recipes, the fish would sit in the lime for hours; Peruvian kitchens came to prefer minutes, to preserve the texture. Because it depends on the fish of the day, cebiche is traditionally a lunchtime dish, and cebicherías often close in the afternoon.

Peru claims the dish in various ways. In 2004, the Peruvian State declared it part of its cultural heritage, and June 28 is National Cebiche Day. In December 2023, the UNESCO committee meeting in Botswana included on its Representative List the practices and meanings linked to the preparation and consumption of cebiche, as part of Peru’s traditional cuisine. According to the state agency Andina, it was the first element of Peruvian cuisine on the list and the first to cover the entire national territory. The dossier values the whole chain: artisanal fishermen of the coves, farmers of lime and chili, and the cooks of the cebicherías.

Cebiche varies by region. On the northern coast there are versions with black shells and mangrove fish; on the coast, with various shellfish; in the Andes, with lake trout; in the Amazon, with river fish. Spelling also varies: cebiche, ceviche, seviche and sebiche are all accepted, and the origin of the word is debated. Preparations of raw fish cured in acid exist in other Pacific coastal countries, such as Ecuador, Colombia and Mexico, each with its own style; the UNESCO inscription is Peruvian.