Luz Neyra works in the Virgen de Fatima market in Los Olivos, a northern suburb of Lima, Peru. She belongs to the second oldest lending group with EDAPROSPO’s branch in Los Olivos. For five years, she and a group of neighbors and workers in the V. de Fatima market have gotten loans together and slowly built up some savings. Luz’s business began with selling her homemade condiments, a variety of salsas used in most types of everyday Peruvian dishes. People will buy little bags of salsa that typically last for the day’s cooking for their families. Luz has since added a variety of other products to her market stall including soy sauce, milk, common household necessities, oils, etc., but her popular condiments remain the backbone of her operations. She used the loan to invest in such side products because the constant presence of condiment clients makes additional sales likely.
Ms. Neyra makes all of her condiments fresh every morning. When she started her business, she admittedly did not know how to prepare a good salsa very well; she told me her first attempts were rather watery concoctions. Now she knows all the right combinations and the popularity of her stall attests to that discovery. Luz works everyday from 7am until 1.30pm at the market; before she leaves for the market, every morning she makes her salsas fresh from Peruvian chili peppers, garlic, tomatoes, etc. Each daily bag of condiments sells for about 40 centavos (more or less depending on the quantity and for certain types of salsa) and she makes about 80 soles in profits every day (100 centavos equals 1 sole).
While the profitability of her business has allowed her to grow her business and fix up her house, her real joy is the change it brings to her family. Prior to the condiment business, Ms. Neyra worked in Central Lima selling clothing. Her hours were long and the profits less stable. People’s decision to purchase clothing or not is largely a reflection of economic conditions (ie if you have very little money, you may decide to keep wearing what you have on longer rather than buy a new shirt) while everyone cooks everyday regardless of macroeconomic conditions. In addition, her close proximity to the market Virgen de Fatima (it is in her neighborhood while Central Lima is a 90minute bus ride away) allows her shorter working hours and the opportunity to see and support her daughters – ages 18 and 15 respectively – much more than her previous occupation allowed. Ms. Neyra hopes to one day build enough on her house that she has extra rooms to rent out and room for a bodega as well.
Due to the overwhelming popularity of her store (I think 30 people bought her salsas while I was interviewing her), I decided to buy one of her salsas as well. While her salsas can be used for a wide variety of Peruvian dishes involving chicken, beef, and vegetables, I chose one used for ceviche – a Peruvian dish composed primarily of more-or-less raw fish (the lime’s acidity cooks the fish). Soon I will post a short video of Luz Neyra and my subsequent culinary experiment.
These are the ingredients you need to prepare ceviche for two people:
2 filets of a white fish (I used tilapia)
1 red onion
1 red chili pepper
8 key limes (or Mexican limes…they have more acidity than the large ones)
cilantro as desired
salt and pepper
Luz Neyra’s homemade garlic salsa (or garlic powder if you can’t make it Los Olivos, Peru)
**Corn on the cob
**Yucca or sweet potato
**Leaf of lettuce
Instructions:
1. Cut the white fish filets into bite-size portions
2. Cut the red onion into bite-size portions
3. Cut the red chili pepper into very small pieces (diced?)
4. Squeeze the juice out of the key limes into a bowl
5. To the bowl of lime juice, add salt, pepper, garlic concoction, cilantro, and cut-up red chili pepper.
6. Add cut-up fish filets to lime juice bowl and let it soak for 20 minutes
7. Add onion to mix at the very end, if ever.
8. **Boil corn on the cob; cut out a cross-section of it and place on side of serving plate
9. **Boil yucca or sweet potato; cut out a cross-section of it and place on other side of serving plate
10. **Place single leaf of lettuce (the bowl-shaped ones) in center of plate.
11. When twenty minutes are up, put some onions on top of the lettuce leaf, then put soaked fish, excess liquid, and rest of onions on top of it.
Enjoy your ceviche! When you finish the plate, Peruvians typically pour the rest of the liquid into a cup and drink it. This mixture is called Leche de Tigre (Tiger’s Milk) and so named because it gives you quite the kick with its acidity and spiciness (and supposedly cures hangovers). Peruvians typically eat ceviche either for lunch or as an appetizer for dinner (with soup to follow).
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Preparación "casera" de Ceviche de pescadoby peruviansoul611,055 views
to be honest that cebiche doesn't look too good :P but it's good to see a non peruvian preparing a cebiche.
andyruiz 3 years ago
Great job! i love ceviche too!
Zolavarra 3 years ago