Mangrove ark clams marinated in lime and bitter orange with their own milky juices, finished with a sofrito of spring onion and sweet pepper. Distinct from the fish-based cevichó of the same coast.
Ceviche de piangua is the clam ceviche of the Colombian Pacific, distinct from the fish-based cevichó of the same coast. Piangua, the mangrove ark clam, is harvested only from the Pacific mangroves and is the emblematic shellfish of Afro-Pacific cuisine. Marinated in lime and bitter orange with the clam's own juices (its sangre), the dish is documented by FAO Colombia's biocultural Pacific program as part of the river-mouth foodways of Guapi and Tumaco.
Briny, iron-faint and slightly chewy, the clams carrying a clean mangrove tang, the lime and bitter orange sharpening without erasing it, the sofrito adding sweetness at the edges. Eaten cold with green plantain chips.
The piangua clams are steamed open in their own liquid, which is reserved as the base of the marinade along with lime and bitter orange juice. The acid is added to the reserved clam liquid rather than replacing it, so the marinade keeps the clam's brininess rather than turning purely acidic. The clams are folded in cold and rest briefly, so they cure on the surface without going rubbery.
Variations
A southern variant adds a splash of coconut milk. Some cooks fold in diced tomato and cilantro cimarrón.
On the Palate
Where Ceviche de Piangua sits in the Colombian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
6 steps · 40 min
- 18 min
Scrub 500g piangua clams and steam in a covered pan with no added water for 6 minutes until they open; reserve every drop of the liquid and pick out the meat.
Watch outSteam the clams dry with no water and catch every drop of their liquid — that briny juice is the base of the marinade; lose it and the ceviche tastes only of acid.
- 23 min
In a bowl, combine the juice of 4 limes, the juice of 1 bitter orange and the reserved clam liquid.
- 35 min
Add the clam meat, half a red onion in thin slices and 1 diced sweet pepper; stir and rest 20 minutes in the fridge.
Watch outFold the clams in cold and rest just twenty minutes — the acid cures only the surface; leave them longer and they turn rubbery.
- 44 min
Make a quick sofrito: fry 2 chopped spring onions and 1 clove garlic in 1 tbsp oil for 2 minutes; cool.
- 54 min
Fold the cooled sofrito and a handful of chopped cilantro cimarrón into the ceviche.
- 62 min
Serve cold with patacones or green plantain chips.
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