In case you didn’t know, June 28 is National Ceviche Day in Peru, first designated by the nation’s government in 2008 to commemorate its national dish. Here in Westchester, we turned to Elina Rosado, who owns Inka’s Seafood Grill in Armonk with her husband Francisco, for a brief tutorial on this popular (and delicious) South American seafood staple.
“Ceviche is the most traditional and representative dish of Peru,” says Rosado. “It’s considered [part of] the Peruvian DNA.” Though its exact origin isn’t clear — it’s known that the Incas ate ceviche — Rosado believes it was influenced by the seafaring culture of Peru’s coast. Traditional Peruvian ceviche starts with seafood marinated in “lime juice, cilantro, onions, some garlic, salt, and pepper,” she explains. Unlike Mexican ceviche, “we never use tomato and cucumber.” In Ecuadorian ceviche, the fish is cooked, not cured using citrus; olive oil is used in Colombia’s version. Peruvian ceviche is served with choclo, a type of Peruvian corn, as well as sweet potato and canchita, fried corn that’s often eaten as a snack.
Rosado describes tiradito, a newer kind of ceviche which uses sliced rather than diced fish, as “a mix of sashimi and ceviche,” attributing its development to the 18th Century Japanese immigrants to Peru. Inka’s menu also include Callo-style ceviche — it’s not technically ceviche because it includes tomato — named for the port in Lima where it originated.
Ready to taste it for yourself? Inka’s Seafood Grill will feature special versions of ceviche along with its regular menu today.
Inka’s Seafood Grill
465 Main Street
Armonk
914.730.1122
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