Ceviche is a dish that is made with raw seafood “cooked” in an acidic liquid like lemon juice or lime juice. There are many different types of ceviche. The most popular are fish ceviche, octopus ceviche or mixed seafood ceviche (shrimp, crab, mussels, fish, etc). You can add veggies and seasonings, and eat it with tortilla chips or saltine crackers. Ceviche is popular across Latin America, not just Panama. If you are a seafood-lover, you have to try it!
I tried fish ceviche for the first time in Panama!
The first time I tried ceviche in Panama comes with a very interesting story. To be honest, I was a little nervous. Me and some friends were on a house boat near an island called Isla Contadora celebrating New Years. My friend decided he wanted to go fishing to pass a little bit of time. He quickly caught a snapper fish (the Spanish name for snapper is pargo). This is one of many fish that can be used to make ceviche. The captain of the boat told us he knew how to make a great ceviche and made it right in front of us in the kitchen on the boat with the fish we just caught. It was a little messy (but at least we knew it was fresh!). Because we made it right on the boat and didn’t have all the ingredients, I wasn’t sure how it would taste. Plus, ceviche is technically raw fish. But I knew I had to try it.
