What is Leche de Tigre

If a Spaniard, an Argentine or a Uruguayan hears the words "leche de Tigre" for the first time, it is very likely that they are thinking of the milk obtained from a tigress. However, if the same words are spoken in Peru, the listener will know their true meaning. In the gastronomy Peruvian, Tigre's milk is the juice used to flavor ceviche, a fish or a combination of fish and shellfish very typical of Peruvian cuisine.

In a clearly humorous tone, Peruvians say that the explanation of this curious term is due to the fact that when you take it, you become a tiger.

Tiger milk in Peruvian cuisine

Most Peruvians cook ceviche accompanying it with leche de Tigre, a sauce or spicy cream that is an emblem of their gastronomy. This sauce is obtained from chili as the most characteristic ingredient. Chili is a yellow pepper and is one of the basic ingredients to make this sauce. The chili pepper is what gives Tigre's milk singular spicy flavor that Peruvians value so much.

To make Leche de Tigre, a series of ingredients are used in their proper proportions, in addition to chili: fresh coriander, lemon juice, red onion, fish broth, garlic paste, oil olive, salt and black pepper. These products are properly chopped and placed in a bowl and then all of them are blended until a white liquid is obtained that resembles the color of milk.

The next step is to add the fish to the previous mixture and all this is liquefied again. Finally, salt, hot chili pepper and pepper are added and the Tigre's milk is ready for your consumption. East complement del ceviche is spicy and refreshing at the same time.

Peruvian gastronomy

Connoisseurs of gastronomy consider that Peruvian cuisine is one of the most original and of the greatest quality in the world. There are several reasons that can explain its international success. On the one hand, the quality of the raw materials, especially fish and shellfish, but without forgetting others such as quinoa or the great variety of tubers. On the other hand, Peruvian gastronomy is the result of a miscegenation cultural with Spanish, Japanese and Chinese gastronomy (Chinese-Peruvian restaurants are known as chifas).

Some of the emblematic dishes of the tradition Peruvian cuisine are the carapulcra (a stew of origin indigenous), the fish tiraditos, the shrimp chupe, the rice with seafood, the potatoes a la huancaína and, of course, the ceviche accompanied by leche de Tigre.

Photos: iStock - sf_foodphoto