Cooking Term of the Day! – “Ceviche”
Shellfish Ceviche
Ceviche
Pronunciation- “seh-BEE-chay”
Ceviche is very popular in South American Countries. It involves cooking cut, raw fish or shellfish in a marinade made with the acidic juice of a fruit, like a lemon or lime. The acidic marinade also has salt and seasonings. Technically speaking, cooking requires heat, so ceviche, isn’t cooked. But it isn’t raw, either….. “Whaaaaat?” you might say.
Well, hear me out, it makes sense, I promise.
Citric acid and heat are both liaisons of the chemical process called denaturation. Here, the citric acid or heat alters the proteins in the fish, disentangling the molecules and changing their physical and chemical properties. When fish is soaked in citrus juices, this operation of denaturation turns the flesh taut and opaque, looking as if it has been cooked by heat. In this sense the texture is altered but the dish still keeps it’s “raw” taste.
However, the ceviche cooking method does not kill bacteria like traditional cooking. So if you decide to try this technique, definitely be sure to use the freshest ingredients.
Pronunciation- “seh-BEE-chay”
Ceviche is very popular in South American Countries. It involves cooking cut, raw fish or shellfish in a marinade made with the acidic juice of a fruit, like a lemon or lime. The acidic marinade also has salt and seasonings. Technically speaking, cooking requires heat, so ceviche, isn’t cooked. But it isn’t raw, either….. “Whaaaaat?” you might say.
Well, hear me out, it makes sense, I promise.
Citric acid and heat are both liaisons of the chemical process called denaturation. Here, the citric acid or heat alters the proteins in the fish, disentangling the molecules and changing their physical and chemical properties. When fish is soaked in citrus juices, this operation of denaturation turns the flesh taut and opaque, looking as if it has been cooked by heat. In this sense the texture is altered but the dish still keeps it’s “raw” taste.
However, the ceviche cooking method does not kill bacteria like traditional cooking. So if you decide to try this technique, definitely be sure to use the freshest ingredients.
