By Alli Sinclair
The
warm wind rustled the paper table cloth, and soft sand oozed between my wiggling
toes as I waited for the dish that would make my taste buds have a fiesta. Gazing
at the azure waters of the Pacific Ocean, I couldn’t think of a better place to
be -- Mancora, on the far north coast of Peru, a haven for foodies, especially
those with a penchant for devouring plates of ceviche.
Popular
in most coastal regions of Central and South America, this seafood dish has
been the centre of a dispute for many years. Made from fresh raw fish and
marinated in lemon or lime juice, it is spiced with peppers, onion, salt and
usually accompanied by sweet potato, lettuce, corn, or avocado (depending on
which region you’re in). The juices cook the fish, but beware – only eat
ceviche early in the day or else you’re likely to end up with a nasty bout of
food poisoning. Unfortunately, I found out first hand why you don’t eat
ceviche late afternoon, but it still didn’t put me off one of my favourite
dishes.
Many
nationalities have laid claim as to who invented ceviche. Central and South
Americans and even some Polynesian islands in the South Pacific have all put
their hand up as the creators.
Every
former Spanish colony has its own version of ceviche. The Spaniards stocked
citrus fruit on their ships to prevent scurvy on long voyages and some
historians believe the recipe was brought to Peru by Moorish women from
Granada, who accompanied the Spaniards, and the recipe morphed into the
ceviche as we know it today.
Those
in the Polynesian camp say the Spanish encountered this dish on their voyages
through the islands. The Spanish sailors enjoyed it so much the recipe spread through
the Spanish colonies, and each region put their own spin on it.
But
perhaps the strongest argument is for Peru and Ecuador. Archaeologists have
discovered evidence that documents ceviche was eaten by the Moche civilization
in northern Peru almost 2,000 years ago. Some say banana passion fruit was originally
used to marinate the fish, and when the Spanish arrived the indigenous people
preferred to marinate their fish in limes and lemons.
Depending
on who you talk to, you’ll get a different story and reasons why a certain
country did, or didn’t, invent ceviche. Many a time I’ve inadvertently become
embroiled in a heated discussion between a Peruvian and Chilean or Ecuadorian
as to who created the original ceviche. At times I felt like I was back in
Australia, debating with a New Zealander as to who invented the pavlova, but
that is a whole other post and sure-fire way of getting our New Zealand readers
offside. (I jest!)
I’ve
eaten ceviche in many parts of the world (including an Australian version),
but today I’ll post the Peruvian recipe.
1
½ pounds of mahimahi, ono or bluenose bass, diced
½
red onion, slivered
¾
cup lime juice (make sure it is a highly acidic type)
1
habanero chili, seeded, halved and thinly sliced (optional)
1
tbsp of ají amarillo sauce (available pureed or in jars in most Latin markets)
½
cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1
orange sweet potato, peeled, boiled, cooled, and sliced
1
cob sweet corn, boiled and sliced into 1 inch pieces
4
butter lettuce leaves
Preparation:
Rinse
diced fish and slivered red onion in cold water and dry thoroughly.
In
a large glass bowl, combine fish, red onion, lime juice, salt, habanero, and
ají amarillo (if using) . Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Just
before serving, stir in the cilantro. Place lettuce leaves on the plate, sweet
potato, and corn to the side and spoon the ceviche on top of the lettuce
leaves.
Eat
and enjoy!
To
be honest, I don’t care who invented ceviche. All I know is whenever I hear
the word, smell lemons and limes or eat the dish, I’m instantly transported back
to a thatch roofed hut on a deserted beach in the Peruvian summer. My stomach rumbles, I can sniff
the salty breeze and my mouth waters at the thought of diving into a dish that
can cause heated debates between so many nationalities.
Dear
reader, what summer food takes you back to a special time or place?
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