ceviche

Or se·vi·che

[suh-vee-chey, ‑chee]

noun

1. an appetizer of small pieces of raw fish marinated in lime or lemon juice, often with onions, peppers, and spices.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ceviche¹

First recorded in 1950–55; from Latin American Spanish (Peru, Ecuador, etc.) cebiche, ceviche, seviche, possibly a derivative of Spanish cebo “fodder, fish pieces used for bait,” from Latin cibus “food”; possibly from Spanish Arabic assukkabāj, from Arabic sikbāj “meat cooked in vinegar,” from unrecorded Middle Persian sikbāg (equivalent to sik “vinegar”+ bāg “food, broth”)

Example Sentences

We savored Apaltado, a delicate raw salmon dish with jalapeño-avocado, chili oil, cherry tomatoes, and a tapioca cracker; Nikkei, a beautiful tuna ceviche with tamarind leche de tigre and avocado; and the full branzino, butterflied with head on and draped in ají amarillo meunière sauce.

From Salon

His partner had decorated and bought everything to make ceviche and albondigas to celebrate his return.

From Los Angeles Times

Otherwise, service was crisp and clean while we sampled sikil pak, a Yucatecan cream or dip that’s trending in Mexican restaurants this year, and a ceviche with too much tomato.

From Los Angeles Times

His partner made him his favorite dish, shrimp ceviche.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2024, Mercado La Paloma became best known for its Michelin-star-winning ceviche counter Holbox — and rightly so.

From Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What is ceviche?

Ceviche is an appetizer dish consisting of raw fish marinated in citrus juice and including ingredients like peppers, onions, and spices.Popular in South America, ceviche generally features chunked fish marinated in lime juice served with sliced white or red onions and chilies. Sea bass, tuna, and shrimp are common choices for the fish, while lemon or bitter orange juice may be used instead of lime. You may even find vegetarian ceviche, with vegetables like mushrooms or artichokes used instead of fish. As long as the base for the dish is served cold and features citrus curing, it could be referred to as a type of ceviche.Ceviche is also spelled seviche.Example: The restaurant offered Sofia and Carlos complementary scallop ceviche because it was their anniversary.