For several weeks now, people in Peru no longer frown when they suck on a lemon, but rather when they see how the price has risen beyond reach. A bitter truth that can be confirmed by a question asked every day: How much does a kilo of lemon cost in Lima and the provinces? A question that has as many searches as the exchange rate. Maybe it’s the new indicator of how the country is doing.
Can you make ceviche without lemon? It is the existential doubt of a country longing for food and worried that its flagship, a part of the nation’s heritage since 2004, is under threat. In its purest form, a ceviche consists of five ingredients: raw fish, salt, chili, onion and lemon. Magic, in its most modern version, is the product of an instant maceration of all these ingredients in a short journey from bowl to table. According to experts, without the acidity of the Peruvian lemon it is not possible to determine the exact meaning of the ceviche. A balance between freshness, spice and citrus notes.
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), the price of lemons increased by 121.7% between June and August. However, the numbers skyrocket even further when one considers that in the first quarter of the year a kilo of lemon cost three soles (0.8 cents per dollar) and in early September it was reported that in Chiclayo, the capital of in the coastal region from Lambayeque had risen to 60 soles (US$16.2) per kilo. In Lima, the fruit has reached 20 soles ($5.4) per kilo in supermarkets and grocery stores, but although it has fallen to an average of 9.50 soles ($2.5) in recent days, the outlook is uncertain.
A clarification is required: the Peruvian lemon is not Peruvian. It was introduced from Southeast Asia during the Spanish conquest and settled on the northern coast of Peru, mainly in the Piura region. Originally it was called the Ceutí lemon – in reference to Ceuta, a city in North Africa that belongs to Spain and where a variety of this lemon was grown – but popularly it was renamed the subtle lemon. And as they say, there is very little subtle flavor. Its acidity is quite intense and unique, if not irreplaceable. Significant contributions not only to ceviche, but also to the production of Pisco Sour, the emblematic cocktail of Peru, and Chicha Morada, a typical export drink.
A Peruvian ceviche called “Ceviche Nikei” in a cafeteria.J Pat Carter (AP)
Peru was named the best culinary destination in South America in the last edition of the World Travel Awards. In Peru, food is a matter of the state and therefore the highest authorities are obliged to be accountable to the people. Economy Minister Alex Contreras Miranda suggested to the population a few weeks ago that they replace ceviche with pollo saltado and offer cevicherías offerings with other dishes such as seafood rice or octopus crust. In the face of criticism, Contreras had to make improvements: “I take this opportunity to realize that I was not clear and assertive enough. I had no intention of interfering in families’ economic decisions. “I recognize that a mistake was made.” The truth is that his initial statements in the most recent Date poll were clear: his disapproval rose from 59% to 64%.
Despite everything, Contreras was ratified by the President of the Republic, Dina Boluarte. Who did not suffer the same fate was Nelly Paredes del Castillo, who until last week held the agricultural development and irrigation portfolio. Paredes minimized the crisis and suggested that lemon has a minimal presence in the family basket. “It only makes up 2% of everything we Peruvians consume, so we use substitutes. Let’s add a little salt, vinegar and also apple cider to the salads. There are also Tahitian lemons on the market. It’s sweeter, but I think it’s time for all Peruvians to help,” he said. The consequences were bitter: on September 6, Jennifer Contreras Álvarez was appointed in her place.
According to the Association of Agricultural Producers of Peru, the reason for the increase in the price of the subtle lemon is due to attacks of nature: the coastal phenomenon El Niño and the cyclone Yaku. The rain-soaked soil has caused severe damage to the lemon trees, the lemon plants. They were either attacked by fungi and mites or produced very small fruits. The most affected region is Piura, where 60% of citrus production is concentrated (16,904 hectares cultivated). There is also a fertilizer crisis that dates back to the government of Pedro Castillo. “Many farmers reduced fertilization and made the plantations weak in the face of a critical period like this,” says Rubén Carrasco, president of the Crop Protection Guild (Protec) of the Lima Chamber of Commerce.
Although August, September and October are the months when the lemon harvest usually declines, the complex problem is that the harvest of the so-called green gold occurs four years after the planting time, so increasing the cultivated areas will not reverse the situation in a short time Time. If carried out, it is more of a long-term measure. Is the Peruvian willing to accept that his ceviche will have a different taste and perhaps a different scent and texture? That’s the detail. Javier Vargas, president of the Association of Marine and Related Restaurants of Peru (Armap), advocates using fewer lemons per dish so that the taste remains familiar and costs do not increase and ultimately turn diners away from cevicherías. “Two lemons are better than four per plate to increase the price,” he notes.
The markets offer more practical options, such as the Tahitian lemon, which grows in the jungle. It is larger and greener than the subtle, but also less acidic and less juicy. Another alternative is the yellow straw lemon, which tends to be sweeter. Likewise the turkey lemon, dark and with wrinkled peel, whose main defect is its short shelf life: it should be consumed in less than a week. There is also the Colombian lemon, whose name comes from its origin and which is as large as it is bitter. The latter enters the country through smuggling. Recently, police in the Tumbes region on the border with Ecuador seized 11 tons of Colombian lemon worth 160,000 soles ($43,243).
Another dangerous aspect is that organic chemical compounds such as acetic acid and citric acid are used as substitutes. To prevent poisoning from adulterated ceviches, the National Institute of Health (INS) has highlighted the risks associated with consuming citric acid: it wears down tooth enamel and could also irritate the digestive system and cause gastritis.
What caused heartburn among citizens was that on August 21, when the lemon market was already through the roof, the presidential office purchased three tons of lemons for the next 12 months. And one of the top class, i.e. of the best quality. While Palacio remained reticent about this journalistic revelation, Julio Velarde, president of the Central Bank (BCR), tried this Friday to reassure people with a forecast: in December the lemon will average 6.58 soles ($1.7) per kilo cost. “We can make mistakes,” he said in his defense. Food is at stake.
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