Tuna fish ceviche {Ceviche volquetero}

Ceviche volquetero, which translates as truck driver ceviche, is a tuna fish ceviche dish that originated in the Amazon jungle region of Ecuador.

Unlike most traditional ceviches that are made with fresh seafood marinated with lime juice, this one is made with canned tuna fish, and isn’t usually marinated ahead of time. It seems to have started as a quick meal for hungry truck drivers, but has recently become a more mainstream dish and can be found on restaurant menus, especially in provinces in the Oriente or Amazon part of the country.
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Tuna fish ceviche {Ceviche volquetero}

Recipe for tuna fish ceviche, also known as ceviche volquetero, an Ecuadorian ceviche made with canned tuna fish, onions, tomato, lime juice, cilantro, and served on a platter with chifles or green plantain chips, chochos (lupini beans), toasted corn nuts, and hot sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 4 tomatoes, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• 1 hot pepper, deveined and seeds removed, finely diced (optional)
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 cans of tuna fish (in olive oil), or add additional olive oil to taste
• Salt to taste

To serve:
• Chifles or green plantain chips
• Chochos or lupini beans
• Tostado corn, also known as chulpi or cancha, can also use popcorn as an alternative
• Avocado slices
• Aji hot sauce, your favorite store bought hot sauce or a homemade tamarillo (tree tomato) hot sauce
• Lime slices

Instructions

1. Place the red onion slices in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and rub the salt into the onions. Rinse the onions well to remove the salt. You can use the onions immediately or let them rest in cold water until ready to use.
2. Add the sliced tomatoes, the chopped cilantro, diced hot pepper (if using), the lime juice, the tuna fish, additional olive oil, and salt to taste. You can serve it immediately or let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
3. To serve the tuna fish ceviche, on a large plate arrange the green plantain chips, the chocho beans, and the toasted corn nuts. Place the onion and tomato curtido salsa with the tuna fish directly on top, you can also add avocado slices and extra lime slices. Serve immediately with hot sauce on the side.

Notes

Canned tuna fish is very popular in Ecuador, and I remember that as a hungry student it was one of my go to quick lunches. I would mix it with rice, and add some tomato and onion curtido salsa, and have an easy, quick, and tasty lunch – you can also add an egg for a variation of the classic arroz con huevo lazy lunch. Tuna fish is used in everything from salads to pasta dishes. So, it’s no surprise that this tuna fish ceviche volquetero has become a popular dish.

This tuna fish ceviche is more of a mixed platter of Andean or mountain ceviche ingredients. It reminds me very much of the vegetarian lupini bean or chocho ceviche that is very traditional in Andean cities. In addition to the canned tuna fish, it has chochos (lupini beans), chifles (green plantain chips), tostado or roasted cancha/chulpi corn nuts, and is served with the very typical curtido – a fresh salsa or small salad made with onions, tomato, lime juice, and cilantro -, and aji hot sauce. I love hot peppers, so I usually add some diced hot pepper to my variation of this ceviche, but you can leave them out and just serve it with hot sauce on the side.

I also like to serve it with avocado slices, because the flavors go well together (I’m on the « avocados go well with everything » team), and adding avocado to dishes is very typical thing for us in the Sierra or Andean highlands. In Ecuador, most of the components of this ceviche volquetero are store bought: canned tuna fish, chifles or plantain chips, chochos, tostado or chulpi corn nuts, and hot sauce. The onion and tomato salsa is the main fresh component.

You can serve the tuna ceviche in individual bowls (or plastic cups for that street food look) or you can arrange it on a larger serving platter and let everyone mix and match as they wish. The tuna fish part can be added right before serving, or you can marinate and mix it with some of the onion and tomato curtido salsa ahead of time – I prefer the last option if I have time. You can use any kind of canned tuna fish that you prefer, I tend to go for the one in olive oil, but that’s just my preference. For a fancier and more sophisticated variation of this humble tuna fish ceviche, you could prepare it using fresh tuna, grill it slightly, and slice it on the platter.