Ceviche de Pescado (Mexican Fish Ceviche)

History & Origin

Ceviche is one of the oldest and most debated dishes in Latin American gastronomy. Although Peru rightfully claims to be the birthplace of ceviche, Mexico has developed over the centuries its own regional versions that are markedly different from the Peruvian recipe. Mexican ceviche has its own characteristics that distinguish it: it is cured for longer in lime (typically 2-4 hours compared to the minutes of modern Peruvian ceviche), uses Mexican lime (Persian lime or criollo lemon) rather than Peruvian lemon, and is complemented with tomato, avocado and serrano chilli, ingredients absent from the classic Peruvian version. Along the Mexican Pacific coast, from Baja California to Oaxaca, fish ceviche is an everyday food consumed on beaches, seafood markets and coastal restaurants. Each coastal state has its own version: in Sinaloa it is prepared with cucumber and Valentina sauce, in Nayarit with grated coconut, in Guerrero with habanero chilli, in Oaxaca with hierba santa, and in Baja California with Pacific seafood such as abalone and clam. The preferred fish for Mexican ceviche is one with white, firm flesh: sierra mackerel, sea bass, grouper, red snapper or tilapia. The freshness of the fish is absolutely fundamental, as the lime does not cook the fish in the traditional sense but rather denatures it through acid action, changing its texture and flavour without applying heat. A good Mexican ceviche is recognised by the balance between the acidity of the lime, the freshness of the coriander, the heat of the chilli, the creaminess of the avocado and the sweetness of the tomato. It is always served cold, ideally in a deep plate or cocktail glass, accompanied by crispy corn tostadas, crackers or simply with a spoon.