Ceviche, another way to handle the effects of Pisco

Cerviche served with the typical Peruvian yellow potatoes.

Ceviche served with the typical Peruvian yellow potatoes.

We already gave you some tips and tricks to get rid of your hangoverBut every country has its own traditional dishes to make the process go faster. We like to give you a taste of the international anti-hangover cuisine. Now this will be a special episode. We already introduced you to a Peruvian dish called aguadito de pollo, but since today we have a Peruvian theme – because of their Independence Day – we’ll provide you with a second one. Ceviche is one of the most famous dishes from the Peruvian cuisine. The juice that is left after eating the fish is a great medicine for hangovers.

Well we’re not going to repeat ourselves too much. We told you about Peru’s national strong drink pisco. What’s more important to know now is that Peruvians in general are mad about cooking. No, not fanatic, not crazy, but just mad. Where a lot of countries created nationalism based on language, an alphabet or history, Peruvians feel strongly connected through their cuisine. Some even describe this phenomenon as ‘food nationalism’. And it takes a strong person not to get hungry when you hear Peruvians talk about food. The passion is simply contagious.
And with so many food fanatics it’s no wonder that for the first time in the serie of hangover cures we have a second dish from one nation. In this episode we’ll tell you how to make ceviche, a dish of raw fish with lemon or lime juice. It’s extremely tasty in the evening and the liquid that’s left in the end provides the perfect hangover cure in the morning.

Ingredients:
500 gram white fish filet (can be anything from halibut to panga)
1,5 cup lemon juice (preferably the South American green lemon, otherwise normal lemon or lime)
1 teaspoon salt
1 rocoto chile or 2 aji lemon peppers (chopped up)
1 medium onion (thinly sliced rings)
4 teaspoons chopped coriander (cilantro)

Preparation:
Start by cutting the fish in dices till about 2,5 cm, preferably even smaller. Place the fish in a bowl and salt it. Then cover with the the sliced onions and the chile peppers. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours. Add the lemon juice a few minutes before serving. When served place some coriander on top.
Ceviche goes extremely well in combination with potatoes and beer.This dish works miracles when you are hungover, but many Peruvians just settle for the leftover liquid, once the fish is gone. This spicy, fishy lemon juice is known as leche de tigre, which means tiger milk. It’s kind of the same principle as the brine from pickles  that Russians and Ukranians drink.
Well that’s the whole story, not too difficult right?! So buen provecho y salud!

Micky Bumbar

Check out more tasty hangover cures from around the world

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8 thoughts on “Ceviche, another way to handle the effects of Pisco

  1. Cerviche, wonderful stuff. Peruvian sushi! I wouldn’t go as far as panga though, that is hardly a ‘traditinonal’ fish, You can also use seafood, octopus, squid, etc.

    AV

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    • True true… But panga is quite easy to get your hands on in Europe for a cheap price. That’s why I mentioned it as an alternative! The taste is still very good! 😀

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      • Well yeah it has nothing to do with the real cerviche of course… But for people who want to try to make it for the first time it’s not a bad alternative!

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  2. LOTD is right. In Peru it’d be a sin to make ceviche with frozen fish or using something as panga, as well as using lemon other than Southamerican green lemon, chili other than “ají limo” or “rocoto” and onions other than red onions. But we Peruvians found out that you can’t be so strict when you’re living in Europe and none of those ingredients are in the next-corner market. Trial and error taught us frozen panga is not really bad and perfect if you want to share with friends, as ceviche must be eaten. The most important is to choose a white and firm fleshed fish. If your’re millionaire, I recommend fresh sole or sea bass 😛

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    • Gabi, you’re right, I also have the same problems here in Brazil making food from my native NZ. I am luckier here in Brazil because many of the ingredients for Peruvian dishes are also available here. I have made cerviche with corvina and taken to the bar for snacks, yum yum.

      AV

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  3. Pingback: Picocita, the refreshing hangover cure from Guatemala | Lords of the Drinks

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