Food of the Andes

Now that ¨colada morada¨time is over, that complex and luscious purple drink which you eat with a spoon for the Day of the Dead, and which you take to the grave of  your ancestors to share with them, I´m thinking lots about ceviche.

There are so many versions.  Peru claims to have the best, and it is wonderful:  cubes  of raw fish ¨pickled¨in our potent lemon/limes, laced with bright red tiny slices of fresh chili and served with chunks of corn on the cob and sweet potato, a delicious and beautiful site to behold.

Long, long ago ceviche was first ¨pickled¨ not by a citrus fruit which originated in Asia, but with a member of the passionfruit family, called either ¨curuba¨or ¨taxo¨.  Although another member of the passionfruit family, maracuyá, is now found out of the Andes, I don´t believe the ancient pickling fruit is available out of these  countries.   It is uniquely astringent and provides a wollop of  flavor which opens your tastebuds  — a really new, fun flavor.

In Ecuador ceviche always has much more juice than in Peru.  On the coast, it is served with “chifles” (plantain chips) and in the mountains it is served with popcorn and parched corn to absorb its superbly balanced sauce.
Those who enjoy Thai food love ceviche: the fresh meld of lemon with raw chili is tantalizing with  seafood.  Peruvians  prefer to use sea bass or sole; a favorite of Ecuadorians is cooked shrimp or prawns.

In Ecuador ceviche is consumed mid-morning, with beer, to help one over a hangover.  In fact, cevicherías (tiny restaurants which serve only ceviches) are not open later in the afternoon or evening!