Many of us enjoy traveling around the world to experience new things. For those who have traveled around South America, I am sure you’ve come across the dish called ceviche. This dish is also served in several restaurants in many parts of the world. However, ceviche is a dish that can be prepared differently, depending on where you go, as each country has its own version.

Though the most popular style is the Peruvian ceviche, other countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and others have named ceviche a local favorite dish. Ceviche is a seafood plate traditionally found on the coast, mainly done with citrus, salt, and chili, which can be optional depending on the culture of the country.

In this article, I will give you the recipe to make Ecuadorian Shrimp Ceviche. The difference between the ceviche of Ecuador and that of other countries is that it’s a type of cold soup with refreshing citrus flavors. However, it’s not as spicy as ceviches from Peru or Mexico that are made with chili and are cured with lime and salt.

This style of ceviche is placed on a plate with a little liquid. Since the Ecuadorian ceviche is a type of soup, they usually serve it with plantain chips on the side. Some serve the soup with popcorn and tostada (toasted in pork lard corn) to be added as you wish.

Also, here in Ecuador, there is the local belief that ceviche is the ideal plate to have when you are hungover. It is very popular to find people in seafood restaurants eating ceviche after a night of partying and drinking. Their belief is that because of the amount of citrus in the soup, it helps the kidneys eliminate alcohol faster from your body, but that is the local belief. I can’t guarantee that it works for everyone, but it’s worth a try!

Without further ado, here is the recipe of Shrimp Ceviche Ecuadorian style for preparation at home. It is a very simple dish to make.

Shrimp Ceviche from Ecuador (Yield 8 portions)

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds of prawns or medium-size shrimp peeled and cleaned
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 medium-size onion cut in julienne strips
• 4 1/2 cups of orange juice (can be changed for tangerine juice or lime juice)
• 3/4 cup of ketchup
• 2 mid-size tomatoes cut in cubes
• Salt to taste
• Sugar to taste

Preparation:

• In a pot filled halfway with water add some salt and the bay leaf; bring it to a boil.
• In the boiling water add the shrimp and cook them until they turn pink in a “U” shape.
• Remove them from the water and let them cool.
• In a bowl put the orange juice and mix with the sugar (the amount of sugar is to reduce the acidity of the orange. Add salt to your taste.
• Later add the ketchup, mix well until all is well combined. After, add 2 oz of the water the shrimp was cooked in into the mixture.
• Add the onions to the liquid prepared before and let it marinate for 5 minutes, then add the shrimp.
• Mix all together and finally add the cubed tomatoes.
• Serve it in bowls and to the side put popcorn and plantain chips and enjoy your ceviche!

Bon Appétit!

Do you like ceviche? What kinds have you tried in different countries in Latin America?

by: Sebastian Vallejo