The cevichería and ceviche hour

What it is

Peruvian ceviche is cubes of very fresh raw fish tossed with lime juice, salt, sliced red onion and fresh chilli, and served within minutes. On the plate beside it are a slice of boiled sweet potato, large-kernel boiled corn and often toasted corn for crunch. The sharp, cloudy liquid left in the bowl is called leche de tigre, tiger's milk, and is also served on its own in a glass. A cevichería sells many other seafood dishes, raw and cooked.

Where it comes from

People on the Pacific coast of South America have eaten fish with sour and hot seasonings for a very long time. Limes and onions came with the Spanish. The modern quick cure, where the fish spends only a few minutes in the juice, is often credited to the influence of Japanese Peruvian cooks in the twentieth century, who also inspired tiradito, fish sliced thin like sashimi. Ecuador, Chile, Mexico and other countries have their own versions, with different fish and seasonings.

How it works

You order a ceviche to share as a starter and say how hot you want it. Then come other dishes for the table: fried seafood, rice with shellfish, a potato terrine, a fish soup. The usual drinks are beer, a purple corn drink called chicha morada, or a pisco sour. Simple market stalls sell ceviche by the plate in the morning. Whatever the setting, the rule is the same. Ceviche is for lunch, and locals are wary of eating it at night.

How to do it

1. Go at lunch, between noon and three.
2. Order one classic ceviche for the table and choose the heat.
3. Eat a piece of fish with onion, then a bite of sweet potato to cool it.
4. Spoon up or drink the leche de tigre at the end.
5. Follow with a hot dish, such as seafood rice or fried fish.

Good manners

• Eat it as soon as it arrives. It keeps cooking in the lime.
• Use a spoon and fork. The juice is part of the dish.
• Do not ask for ceviche at dinner in a traditional place.

What is eaten

TiraditoPeruvian raw fish slices in a spicy citrus sauceCausa limeñaCold layered potato dish with a savoury filling, typical of PeruChicha moradaA sweet purple drink made from Peruvian purple corn, fruits and spices

Also part of it, and being written: Chupe.

Sources and further reading

• Ceviche on Wikipedia
• UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Practices and meanings associated with the preparation and consumption of ceviche
• Peru Travel: official tourism site of Peru