Ceviche, also cebiche, seviche or sebiche, is a seafood dish typically made from fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime, and spiced with ají, chili peppers or other seasonings including chopped onions, salt, and cilantro. Because the dish is not cooked with heat, it must be prepared and consumed fresh to minimize the risk of food poisoning. Ceviche is usually accompanied by side dishes that complement its flavors, such as sweet potato, lettuce, corn, avocado or plantain. The dish is popular in the Pacific coastal regions of Latin America. Though the origin of ceviche is hotly debated, in Peru it is considered a national dish.
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. When fresh and fully mature, it is about 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter and dark red, and contains a single seed, like all drupes. Peppercorns and the ground pepper derived from them may be described simply as pepper, or more precisely as black pepper, green pepper, or white pepper.
Capsicum pubescens is native to Bolivia and Peru and dates back to pre-Incan times, finding traces of its presence in the Guitarrero Caves. The existence of Capsicum pubescens was documented by ancient Peruvians of the Paracas, Nazca, Moche, and Chimu cultures, through textiles, ceramics, and domestic remains. This chili pepper is the most important ingredient of the Bolivian sauce llajwa. It is also considered the flagship of Peru and it is consumed fresh, paste, dried, or ground. It belongs to a species of the genus Capsicum (pepper), and is known in Peru and Ecuador as rocoto, locoto in Bolivia and Argentina and as the manzano pepper in Mexico which means 'apple' for its apple-shaped fruit. This species is found primarily in Central and South America, and is known only in cultivation. The species name, pubescens, means hairy, which refers to the hairy leaves of this pepper. The hairiness of the leaves, along with the black seeds, distinguish this species from others. As they reach a relatively advanced age and the roots lignify quickly, sometimes they are called tree chili. Of all the domesticated species of peppers, this is the least widespread and systematically furthest away from all others. It is reproductively isolated from other species of the genus Capsicum. A very notable feature of this species is its ability to withstand cooler temperatures than other cultivated pepper plants, although it cannot withstand frost.
Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients—including influences from the indigenous population including the Inca, and cuisines brought in with colonizers and immigrants from Europe, Asia and West Africa. Without the familiar ingredients from their home countries, immigrants modified their traditional cuisines by using ingredients available in Peru. The four traditional staples of Peruvian cuisine are corn, potatoes and other tubers, Amaranthaceaes and legumes. Staples brought by the Spanish include rice, wheat and meats. Many traditional foods—such as quinoa, kiwicha, chili peppers, and several roots and tubers have increased in popularity in recent decades, reflecting a revival of interest in native Peruvian foods and culinary techniques. Chef Gaston Acurio has become well known for raising awareness of local ingredients. The US food critic Eric Asimov has described it as one of the world's most important cuisines and as an exemplar of fusion cuisine, due to its long multicultural history.
Schinus terebinthifolia is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that is native to subtropical and tropical South America. It is found in these states of Brazil: Alagoas, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, and Sergipe. Common names include Brazilian peppertree, aroeira, rose pepper, broadleaved pepper tree, wilelaiki, Christmasberry tree and Florida holly. The species name has been very commonly misspelled as "terebinthifolius", due to considerable historic confusion as to the correct gender of the genus name; as of 2015 this has been resolved with the determination that the correct gender of Schinus is feminine, and adjectival names within the genus must be spelled accordingly.
The Yungas is a narrow band of forest along the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains from Peru, Bolivia, and northern Argentina. It is a transitional zone between the Andean highlands and the eastern forests. Like the surrounding areas, the Yungas belong to the Neotropic ecozone; the climate is rainy, humid, and warm.
Ají is a spicy sauce that often contains tomatoes, cilantro (coriander), ají pepper, onions, and water.
Capsicum baccatum is a member of the genus Capsicum, and is one of the five domesticated pepper species. The fruit tends to be very pungent, and are 30,000 to 50,000 on the Scoville Heat Unit scale.
Llajua or llajwa is a chili sauce prepared from locotos hot chili peppers, and tomatoes; sometimes onions are added to the mix. One or two seasoning herbs could be added, depending on the region and taste: quirquiña in Cochabamba and wakataya in the Altiplano and other valleys of Bolivia. It is preferably prepared on a grinding stone called a batan, which can be found in most Bolivian households of Cochabamba and Altiplano. In the absence of a batan, it can be prepared in a blender.
San Miguel de Chaccrapampa or Chakrapampa is one of the nineteen districts of the Andahuaylas Province in Peru.
Antabamba or Antapampa is one of the seven districts of the Antabamba Province in Peru.
Chacapampa or Chakapampa is one of twenty-eight districts of the province Huancayo in Peru.
Mollepata or Mullipata is one of eight districts of the province Santiago de Chuco in Peru.
Chinchihuasi or Chinchi Wasi is one of ten districts of the Churcampa Province in Peru.
Acopampa or Aqupampa is one of eleven districts of the province Carhuaz in Peru.
Mulli Urqu is a 2,906-metre-high (9,534 ft) mountain in the Bolivian Andes. It is located in the Chuquisaca Department, Oropeza Province, Yotala Municipality. Mulli Urqu lies west of the Kachi Mayu which is a left tributary of the Pillku Mayu.
