Sour fish

When I traveled through Peru for the first time fifteen years ago, I got gastroenteritis after having a freshly squeezed fruit juice at the market right at the beginning of the trip. After that, I didn’t think for a moment about trying one of the country’s most important specialties: ceviche. Eating raw fish in a country like Peru – no thanks, just thinking about it gave me diarrhea. It wasn’t until my third trip to the country that I learned that you can eat the dish without any risk, simply because the fish is marinated in lime juice for several hours – this kills any bacteria. In Arequipa, I had a local recommend the best cevicheria in town. Since that feast in “La Caleta”, ceviche has been one of my favorite dishes.

Arequipa (Peru), July 2017