The mango ceviche

2005. The mango ceviche and the friendships that last over time

The first person who told me about mango ceviche was my friend Mauricio Herrera. That was many years ago, around 2006 when we both lived in Caracas and we still thought we would stay in Venezuela. Although neither of us was expelled from there, we chose to simply emigrate because we did not support the political, social and economic daily life of the country at that time: nothing more and nothing less. The truth was that I, in matters of the heart, felt also lonely. Now when I look back I think that definitely neither of us lived the hardest thing in the contemporary history of my beloved and hurting country. He left Caracas in 2008 and I left in 2010. Mauricio lives in Sydney and I here in Bogota, and although we have not seen each other again in 8 years, he is one of the best friends I have from the memories of my long-standing life in Caracas.

Mauricio, among many virtues, had a very important one for a friendship in a big city: we lived nearby. In fact, we were neighbors. Too much I would say. Mauricio lived less than two blocks from my house and had an apartment where you could feel his experiences through his trips thanks to his photos and his objects. He was the first friend who told me to travel to Southeast Asia, in fact I still have in the guest room a photo that he gave me that is a portrait of an inhabitant of Myanmar. Mauri’s Nikon was the first professional camera in which I took a photo. In addition, he had another great virtue that aroused some jealousy among other friends: he made some fantastic gifts. There was no Christmas gift or birthday that that I would not like. There are people who know the art of giving and without a doubt, Mauricio is one of them. And I speak not of big and expensive things, but of special details. And as I said at the beginning of the chapter, he was the one who told me about the mango ceviche. He tasted it in a contest of talented children in which he was part of the jury and which he found a fun event. I thought it was super creative, since until that moment my brain only processed that the ceviches were fish or shrimp.

Since then, I started to try the mango ceviche at home and that became a signature dish at my table, in the Casa de la Alegría as it was baptized by my closest friends in Caracas. After 10 years I still do it and many times I remember how happy Mauricio looked when he told us about the contest of talented children in Caracas. With Mauricio we are still in contact and despite the years without seeing each other, love and friendship exist, but through distance and 15 hours apart it is not the most recurrent, thanks in large part to my accelerated pace of life. However, I hope that eight more years will not pass, so that we can meet again, be it in Sydney, Bogota or in another corner of the planet, and remember with joy and nostalgia the good years of friendship in our beloved Caracas. Enjoy this recipe that I have been doing at home for years and that celebrates the friendship that lasts over time.

The mango ceviche recipe

For 4 to 6 persons

Ingredients:

2 or 3 large mangoes  (neither very mature, nor very green)

1 purple or medium red or medium large onion

1 bunch of coriander that have at least 3 tbsp (tablespoons).

3 tbsp (spoonfuls) of chopped paprika in small squares

3 or 4 large juicy lemons (use green preferably, in some countries they say lime)

2 tsp (teaspoon) of salt

2 tsp (teaspoon) of freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp (tablespoon) of olive oil

What I do?

I cut the mangoes in thin and long slices. I use a kiwi pro slicer that helps me do it much faster. I peel the onion in very thin julienne strips, the coriander in very small pieces and the peppers in small squares.

I take a cup and add the coriander and I proceed to squeeze the lemons, until having a lemonade of coriander. I make sure that at least the juice is half of the cup.

I place the mango in a bowl, then the onions and paprika. I add the salt and pepper, and then the coriander and lemon juice. I take into account that the ratio of mango with onion is 1 to 4 or 1 to 3. That is to say, there must be at least 3 times as much mango for a portion of onion.

I use my hands! With them I begin to mix all the ingredients well. Then I add the olive oil and mix again. With my hands, I press a little so that the mango dribbles a little juice and mix with oil and lemon.

I let stand about 30 minutes so that the mango absorbs more flavor and serve. Sometimes I eat it at once, but it’s a reality that waiting for those minutes gives it more flavor.

Enjoy your mango ceviche!

Tip # 1: If you are in Venezuela or somewhere that there is sweet red chili, change the paprika for sweet pepper squares! It is even better and more tropical.

Tip # 2: If you notice that it is not very juicy, add a little more lemon and olive oil.

Tip # 3: This recipe is raw-vegan and perfect for a diet or a Crossfit transformation challenge.

If you have any questions with the recipe remember that you can write to me at foodografos@gmail.com or by instagram: @ food.o.grafo

This recipe is endorsed by CIENutrition.