Ceviche may also be spelled ‘cebiche’, or ‘seviche’, which are variations of the medieval Spanish word ‘cebo’, a word used to refer to both fish that is eaten and also fish bait. It is believed that the first versions of ceviche were made in or near the town of Huanchaco in Peru. Modern ceviches are prepared using lime juice, so that the citrus can work on coagulating the proteins in the fish and give it an opaque appearance. However, citrus only appeared in the form of bitter oranges in South America after Columbus arrived in 1492. Some food historians have estimated that the tumbo, which is a cousin of the passion fruit, must have been used to make ceviche before that, but others disagree. Peru has always been associated with ceviche, but it is also common in other places along the Pacific coast, including Mexico. This recipe involves just a few simple steps.
