The Great Ceviche Book

The definitive guide to ceviche from the godfather of Nuevo Latino cuisine. This revised edition of Rodriguez’s classic covers more than forty ceviche recipes, from traditional Latin American preparations to creative fusion variations. The book opens with a thorough grounding in ceviche fundamentals before building toward increasingly inventive combinations.

Why Start Here

Rodriguez’s other cookbooks cover broader territory, but this is where his expertise is most concentrated. He built his reputation on Latin American flavors at restaurants like Patria, Chicama, and OLA, and ceviche was always central to his cooking. The book distills decades of professional experience into a format that works for home cooks: clear fundamentals, smart technique, and recipes that progress from simple to sophisticated.

The structure is what makes it effective as a starting point. Rodriguez begins with the six essential ingredients that form every ceviche, explains the safety principles for working with raw fish, and walks you through equipment and presentation. Only then do the recipes begin, organized by style: traditional ceviches, tiraditos, and combination platters. This progression means you build real understanding, not just a collection of recipes you follow blindly.

At 144 pages, it is also Rodriguez’s most accessible work. There is no padding, and the focus never wavers from its subject.

What to Expect

A compact, focused cookbook organized around ceviche technique. The chapters move from traditional preparations through tiraditos and mixtos to side dishes and basic preparations. Rodriguez includes guidance on sourcing fish and working safely with raw seafood. The recipes are clear and practical, with sensible portions and straightforward ingredient lists. Photography is clean and appetizing. This is a book you can work through from front to back, building skills as you go.