Day 62 – Peruvian food

I have a friend who absolutely loves Peruvian food, most specifically ceviche: falling in love with it whilst travelling in South America, she’s been infatuated ever since. Said friend is a massive foodie (saying she’s a bit of a dab hand in the kitchen is putting it mildly) so if she recommends a dish to you, you usually listen.

And listen I did, all those years ago, when I thought the idea of raw fish, cured in lime juice, with something called tiger’s milk sounded horrific. I listened and instantly dismissed the thought of ever trying it. Fast forward a couple of years and thankfully my pallet and curiosity have developed significantly, and I am very adventurous now – actively seeking out new dishes and tastes to try. So, coming full circle, this is what led me to finally give Peruvian food and the much-loved ceviche a try.

La Preferida is actually not too far from us, so it’s even surprising that it took us so long to visit. It is such a warm and inviting restaurant, with the nicest staff I’ve experienced in Frankfurt in a long time. The ambience was perfect, even though (at the time) we were the only customers in there. We decided, on my friend’s recommendation, to order Pisco Sours, and let me tell you if she had started her ceviche pitch all those years ago by mentioning these cocktails, I would have taken action a lot, lot sooner.

I loved the Pisco Sour: I’m not a fan of sweet cocktails so the sharp lime tickled my tastebuds delightfully and the subtle sweetness balanced it out enough so that I wasn’t twisting my face from the sourness. A blessing for my husband I’m sure.

Although the ceviche looks creamy, the fish was actually in a delicious marinade that it was cured in called Leche de Tigre, or tiger’s milk! The sharp, zingy flavours of the Leche de Tigre worked so well with the fresh fish, it was insanely delicious. I guess I could see what all the fuss was about.

We had some main courses after, but I was so impressed with the ceviche that they, although nice, couldn’t compare. My dish was also a little too salty for my tastes, but it did balance out with the salsa on the side.

I have to say, I was surprised how delicious I found the ceviche: the flavours were right up my street all along. I’m a little annoyed I didn’t try it sooner, but I’m so happy it, along with those beautiful Pisco Sours, are now in my life. My friend was absolutely right all along.