The ceviche arrived in a shallow bowl, the fish cut into cubes the size of sugar lumps, marinated in lime juice so intensely that the edges had turned opaque white while the centers remained translucent. It was topped with thin slices of red onion, a single kernel of Peruvian corn, and a leaf of cilantro. I was at Chez Wong, a restaurant in Lima run by a seventy-eight-year-old chef named Javier Wong who serves only one dish: ceviche, prepared at a counter in front of you, with no menu and no substitutions. The fish was sea bass, caught that morning off the coast of Callao, and the lime was from the northern valley of Chulucanas. The dish cost twenty-five dollars. I ate it in four minutes. It was the best ceviche I have ever tasted.
What Ceviche Actually Is
Ceviche is raw fish cured in citrus juice, and it is the defining dish of Peruvian cuisine. The acid in the lime denatures the proteins in the fish, effectively 'cooking' it without heat. The process takes minutes, not hours, and the fish must be absolutely fresh. In Peru, ceviche is eaten at lunch, never at dinner, because the fish is caught in the morning and is no longer considered fresh by evening. The classic preparation, ceviche limeño, includes fish, lime juice, red onion, cilantro, and aji, a Peruvian chili pepper. The juice, called leche de tigre or tiger's milk, is drunk after the fish is eaten. It is said to be an aphrodisiac. I drank it. I cannot confirm the effect, but I can confirm that it is delicious.
The Best Ceviche in Lima
Lima has thousands of cevicherias, from street stalls to Michelin-starred restaurants. Chez Wong is the most famous, but it is not the only excellent option. La Mar, run by Gastón Acurio, Peru's most celebrated chef, serves a modern interpretation with multiple varieties of fish and creative garnishes. El Mercado, in the Miraflores district, serves ceviche in a casual setting with excellent cocktails. Pescados Capitales, also in Miraflores, specializes in ceviche made from Amazonian fish that are not available elsewhere. I tried paiche, a giant freshwater fish from the Amazon, prepared as ceviche with cocona, a tropical fruit. The texture was firmer than sea bass, and the flavor was cleaner. It cost eighteen dollars. I also ate ceviche at a street stall in the Surquillo market for four dollars. It was made with corvina, a local white fish, and it was equally fresh.
The History of Ceviche
Ceviche predates the Spanish conquest, though the modern version uses limes, which were introduced by Spanish settlers. The original preparation used tumbo, a native passion fruit, or chicha, a fermented corn drink. The Moche civilization, which flourished on the north coast of Peru two thousand years ago, ate raw fish marinated in acidic fruit. The dish evolved with the arrival of limes, onions, and cilantro, and it became a national obsession in the twentieth century. Today, Peru celebrates National Ceviche Day on June 28, and the dish is the centerpiece of every important meal. I was invited to a family lunch in Lima where the host, a lawyer named Carlos, prepared ceviche for fifteen people. He marinated the fish for exactly three minutes, no more, no less. 'After three minutes,' he said, 'the lime wins. The fish loses.'
How to Make It at Home
Making ceviche requires fresh fish and confidence. The fish must be sashimi-grade, meaning it has been frozen to kill parasites and handled with care. I buy mine from a fishmonger I trust and use it the same day. The limes must be fresh-squeezed. Bottled lime juice is too bitter and lacks the aromatic oils of fresh fruit. The fish is cut into uniform cubes, placed in a bowl, and covered with lime juice. The onion is sliced paper-thin and soaked in salt water to remove its harshness. The cilantro is torn, not chopped, to release its oils. After two to three minutes, the dish is seasoned with salt and aji, and served immediately. I have made ceviche at home twenty times since returning from Peru. It never tastes as good as it did in Lima. The missing ingredient is the Pacific Ocean, three hundred meters from the kitchen.
