Crudo and ceviche are a variety of coastal dishes that are made using raw fish and other raw seafood.

The fresh seafood used in these dishes are not cooked with heat, they may however be prepared by other means.

The raw fishes or shellfish in crudo and ceviche are also dressed with a variety of ingredients including herbs, spices, citrus and vinegar which are used to enhance their flavours.

In this post, we discuss the differences between these two seafood dishes.

Difference between crudo and ceviche

The term crudo encompasses various dishes that are made up either raw meat or fish, although it is more popularly used to refer to the fish crudo.

Ceviche is also a raw seafood dish; however, preparing ceviche involves curing fresh seafood with lime or lemon juice.

The raw fish in ceviche is marinated in the citrus juices which cures the fish lightly, they may appear somewhat cooked in as much as no heat was used to make them.

Compared to crudo which has that translucent pink colour, the raw fish in ceviche has an opaque white colour and a firmer texture as a result of marinating it in lemon or lime juice

What is crudo?

Crudo is an Italian word that means raw.

It may be used to refer to various preparations that are made with raw meat or raw seafood.

Many other ingredients accompany crudo as well as. These meats and fishes could be dressed in various condiments and they are also seasoned with a variety of spices.

There are various forms of crudo made from a wide variety of meats or fish, and also with a wide range of dressing.

The uncooked fish or raw meat is sliced thinly, minced or diced following which they are dressed with olive oil, vinaigrette, or even a sauce

Crudo could also be dressed with citrus juices like lemon and lime, however with lesser concentrations compared to ceviche.

Pesce crudo

Pesce crudo means fish crudo

It is also a type of crudo that is made from raw fish.

This Italian dish can be found in the menus of some restaurants where it may be served as an appetizer.

The dish consists of thinly sliced raw fish sprinkled with salt. Lemon and olive oil are also added to flavor the fish.

This dish may also be served with a bread

A wide range of fishes could be used in this dish, they include salmon, tuna, kingfisher and swordfish.

What is ceviche?

Ceviche is a dish that originates from Peru but it is popular in so many places all over the world.

There are different varieties of ceviche, regional variations also exists among Latin American countries.

It is a seafood dish that is made from raw fish and other seafood.

Although the fish is not cooked with heat, it is cured with lemon or lime juice.

The raw fish is allowed to marinate for some amount of time in either lemon or lime juice as the acidity in these juices act on it.

This process causes the raw fish to appear cooked as it changes from a translucent pink color to an opaque white color.

The fish develops a firmer texture as a result of marinating it in lemon or lime juice, and it also absorbs the flavor of the citrus juice.

The raw fish is often diced into cubes before being marinated in the lemon or lime juice.

Different types of fish are used to make ceviche, it can also be made with other seafood such as shrimps.

Ceviche is seasoned with a variety of herbs and spices including chili pepper and salt.

You may also find ceviche with different garnishes. The dish may be garnished with onions, celery, cilantro and parsley.

Ceviche is eaten at any time of the day as an appetizer or a light meal

This dish is also eaten together with side dishes such as potatoes.

In conclusion

Raw seafood dishes are found in some coastal cuisines where they are often a staple dish.

In some of these dishes, the fish may be prepared by other means which does not involve cooking it with heat.

However, since the fish and seafood that are used to make these dishes are uncooked, parasites and bacteria are often a major concern.