Also known as "cebiche," "sebiche," and "seviche," it cannot be denied that its name piques curiosity in anyone who hears it, especially for those who, for one reason or another, have to write it.
How to Spell It
Actually, according to the Royal Spanish Academy, it can be written in any of these forms, depending on the location where it is prepared; for example: Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.
But, why is it called that? The truth is that the theories regarding the reasons for this vary greatly depending on the author in question.
For example, in 1952, someone suggested that the name derived from the word "cebo," because, according to him, this was what the dishes were called when they were small, and since in this dish the fish portions were considerably thin, it would make sense.
However, there was also someone who pointed out that it is highly likely that "ceviche" shares etymology with another similar-sounding term: "escabeche," which, after translation from Andalusian Arabic, Classical Arabic, and Ancient Persian, would mean "vinegar soup."
Andean Origin
Similarly, a Peruvian geographer and historian claimed that the name of this dish originated from a Quechua word, "siwichi," which means "tender fish" or "soft fish." According to his hypothesis, this word was confused with "sikba" (vinegar soup) after the Inca Empire's conquest.
Finally, the last theory comes from another historian whose research concluded that the word "ceviche" derived from the Arabic "sibech," a mixture of orange juice, lemon juice, and raw fish, prepared by Morisco women who took it as a war trophy.
