Ecuadorian vs Peruvian ceviche: what’s the difference?
Both countries claim ceviche and both are right. They just make very different dishes under the same name.
| Ecuadorian ceviche | Peruvian ceviche | |
|---|---|---|
| Usual star | Prawns, also black clams or fish | Raw white fish |
| Is the seafood cooked? | Prawns are usually briefly poached first | No, it is cured in lime |
| The liquid | Plenty of it: lime, orange and tomato, eaten like a cold soup | A small amount of leche de tigre |
| Heat | Mild, with ají served on the side | Fresh chilli in the dish |
| Served with | Tostado, popcorn, plantain crisps | Sweet potato and large-kernel corn |
| Eaten | Often mid-morning, famously as a hangover cure | Lunch, as close to the catch as possible |
Why Ecuador cooks its prawns
Ecuador is one of the world’s biggest farmed-prawn producers, and prawns have always been the coastal favourite. Poaching them briefly before they meet the citrus gives a sweet, firm bite that a lime cure alone does not. The juice that results is the point of the dish. Ecuadorians drink the last of it from the bowl.
The tomato and the ketchup
Many Ecuadorian ceviches include tomato, and in plenty of homes and stalls that means a spoonful of ketchup. Purists may wince, but it is authentic: it adds sweetness and body that balance the lime and orange. Blended fresh tomato is the alternative.
Popcorn on the side
Ecuadorian ceviche comes with something crunchy to scatter in: tostado, popcorn (canguil) or chifles, thin green-plantain crisps. It sounds odd and makes complete sense the first time you eat it.
Ecuadorian prawn ceviche (ceviche de camarón)
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 500g raw king prawns, peeled
- 1 red onion, very thinly sliced
- Juice of 6 limes and 2 oranges
- 2 ripe tomatoes, blended, or 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- A handful of coriander, chopped
- Salt
- To serve: tostado (toasted corn), popcorn and chifles (plantain crisps)
Method
- Rinse the sliced onion in salted water, drain and soak it in the juice of 2 limes for 10 minutes.
- Poach the prawns in simmering salted water for 1 to 2 minutes until just pink. Drain, keeping 150ml of the cooking water, and cool quickly.
- Mix the remaining lime juice, the orange juice, blended tomato, oil and the reserved cooking water. Season well.
- Add the prawns, the onion and its lime, and the coriander. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Serve in bowls with plenty of the juice, with tostado, popcorn and chifles on the table.
What you’ll need
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