Peruvian ceviche: recipe and method

Raw fish cut into cubes, seasoned with salt, chilli and lime squeezed at the last minute, with red onion and coriander: ceviche is Peru’s national dish. In Peru, the useful question is “which fish and which chilli?”; at home, the first question is the quality of the fish.

A recognised heritage

In 2023, UNESCO inscribed the practices and meanings associated with ceviche on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Its listing describes a dish of raw fish marinated in lime, spiced with chilli and salt, whose recipes vary from one region to another, passed down mainly within families, and linked to artisanal fishermen as well as to the cooks of the cebicherías.

What the lime does, and what it does not do

The acidity of the lime firms up and whitens the surface of the fish, which looks “cooked”. But it is not cooking: the FDA, the American food agency, states that marinades do not eliminate fish parasites, and the CDC points out the risk of infection linked to raw fish in Peru. Hence three rules: fish sold for eating raw, kept very cold, served straight away.

The techniques of ceviche

PROMPERÚ’s recipe insists on details that make the difference: cubes of about 2 cm, onion cut “in feathers”, very thin, softened in cold water, and limes squeezed without forcing, because the peel makes the juice bitter. The fish marinates for only a few minutes: in Peru, it is eaten at midday, freshly prepared.

Our version

The corvina used in Lima is rarely found in Switzerland: ask the fishmonger for a firm white fish sold for eating raw. For people for whom raw food is not recommended, the poached-fish version lets them share the meal.