To many, Peru is the site of Machu Picchu, the Incas, and a laundry list of bucket list spots to visit. However, what many don’t realize is Peru is very much the culinary capital of South America. While many of the food styles have not made their way to the United States, there is one particular kind of food that has: ceviche.
Ceviche originated in South America and is, traditionally, made using raw fish cured in citrus juices. With so many variations hailing from Peru, Ceviche is the country’s national dish. Of course, many other countries have embraced ceviche, and it is now possible to enjoy a variety of takes on the Peruvian specialty. However, there truly is no replicating the original and using the native spices of Peru.
If you have visited Peru before you fully understand the difference in tastes. But even if you haven’t yet had the opportunity to do so, the upcoming Ceviche Festival right here in Tucson is the perfect opportunity for you to sample these unique flavors.
Taking place on May 20 and running through May 22, the festival is designed to not only bring awareness to the Peruvian food, but to help introduce locals to flavors they may not have ever experienced before.
The festival will be held at the Villa Peru restaurant, which is located at 1745 East River Road, Suite 165. During the festival, there will be a total of 14 different ceviches offered. With such an assortment you are sure to find one (or all) that fully brings your taste buds to life. And why not wash it down with a traditional pisco sour? The drink, which is made using the pisco spirit, as well as some sweet and sour juice and an egg white (which helps give the drink its signature frothy head, is a perfect combination for the ceviche.
Villa Peru normally has a total of six different kinds of ceviches listed on the menu. However, with the 14 variations, even if you are a regular to the restaurant this will be an excellent opportunity to come on back. These ceviches will include far more than just fish as some of the included flavors will consist of king crab, Corvina, salmon, yuzu (which is a citrus fruit that has a mandarin meets lemon taste), and others.
Seating is limited within the restaurant, so reservations are recommended. This will help ensure proper social distancing and it allows for your server to go over all of the menu items with you personally and address all questions you might have. If this is your first time enjoying Peruvian food or having ceviche, you likely will have a number of questions, which the staff will be happy to address.
Villa Peru is a family-owned and operated restaurant. While they will tell you the restaurant has six different owners, all are part of the same family. Walter Salazar is the head chef while his wife, Frida Gonzales, is the sous-chef. Walter, Frida, and their children Frida and Magda are all native to Peru before immigrating to the United States in 2001. While they worked a number of jobs upon arriving in the country they wanted to provide locals with a taste of their home country. This eventually led to the creation of Villa Peru’s first location in Tempe, six years ago. They then moved to Tucson to open up their restaurant and to be closer to their family, all of which lived in greater Tucson.
So, if you want to not only take part in the festival but also support a locally owned, hard-working family, stop on by Villa Peru and give the 14 different ceviches a try.