Ceviche is not just a food, it's an expression of Peru, says ambassador

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Ceviche is not just a food, it's an expression of Peru, says ambassador

Published: 25 Aug. 2025, 07:00 Updated: 25 Aug. 2025, 09:42

SEO JI-EUN
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Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Paul Duclos, Peru’s ambassador to Korea, poses with traditional Peruvian dishes during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at Ceviche 210 in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on July 17. [PARK SANG-MOON]

[AMBASSADOR'S TABLE]

Seoul’s ambassadors are often gastronomes keen to share a taste of their home cuisine. In this series, the Korea JoongAng Daily asks the diplomatic corps to introduce our readers to their favorite restaurants representing cuisine from their homelands, while chatting about issues of interest to our Korean and global audience. — Ed.

Peru's ambassador to Korea, Paul Duclos, is as passionate about his country's culinary legacy as he is about diplomacy.

During a lengthy interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on July 17, conducted over a four-hour round trip from Seoul to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, the ambassador personally invited the team to one of his favorite Peruvian restaurants in Korea, Ceviche 210.

Peru was a natural fit for the interview series, Duclos said, thanks to its globally celebrated cuisine — with several Peruvian restaurants ranked on the 2025 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, including the first place. The restaurant’s chef, David, often caters embassy events and receptions. Ceviche, the country’s most emblematic dish, was a natural starting point.

“Ceviche is like jang — it’s the basic of our food, but more than that, it's the heart of our culture,” Duclos said. “Its preparation methods are listed as Unesco intangible heritage, and we’re very proud of that.”

Ceviche 210 bings the taste of Peru to Pyeongtaek

The ambassador also reflected on Peru’s recent APEC chairmanship in 2024, which directly preceded Korea’s ongoing term in 2025.

One key tip, he noted, is that the quality of logistic organization, from venues and cultural programming to seamless coordination, is what truly defines a successful APEC summit.

Peru, he added, is particularly eager to see continuity on issues such as sustainable growth, digital transformation and inclusive economic development, which were key pillars of its agenda last year.

Below are excerpts from the interview, edited for clarity and length.

Paul Duclos, Peru’s ambassador to Korea, speaks during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at Ceviche 210 in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on July 17. [PARK SANG-MOON]

When did you arrive in Korea, and what’s changed since?

I arrived in 2023. That year, we celebrated 60 years of bilateral relations. We had a vice minister visit, and last year Peru was the APEC chair, which we handed over to Korea in November.
We also signed a joint declaration — a road map on science, critical minerals, education and defense. And our national football team played a match in Busan — I was even able to sing our national anthem on the field. I felt like I was in the World Cup.

Officials pose for a photo during the First Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM1) and related meetings of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2025 held in Gyeongju, on March 9. The Korean government, this year’s APEC host economy, proposed “AI Cooperation” and “Response to Demographic Changes in the Asia-Pacific Region” as key deliverables. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

As an APEC host last year, what tips can you give Korea as this year's APEC host?

The organization is the most important signal.
If everything goes smoothly — excellent venue, cultural activities, beautiful five-star hotels — it shows the agenda is fulfilled without complications.
When I arrived in Korea, there was the Jamboree. It was a major event involving children, and more care should have been taken. But things didn't work very well and it drew a lot of criticism.

What were Peru’s top achievements as APEC chair in 2024?

One of the key achievements was restoring consensus within APEC, which had been difficult for the two years prior due to global political turmoil. Under Peru’s chairmanship, around 20 deliverables were approved, including a joint leaders’ declaration, ministerial and political statements, and road maps on various issues — such as reducing food loss and waste, promoting clean hydrogen, supporting people with disabilities, and empowering women in the economy.
What stood out the most for us was the initiative on the formalization of enterprises, especially small- and medium-sized ones. Without formalization, businesses lack access to credit and can’t fully participate in the economy. This road map also includes efforts to close gaps in digitalization, technology, and finance — tools that are essential for SMEs, which are the ones really pushing our economy by creating jobs and contributing to exports.

What kind of APEC initiatives are you continuing with Korea?

We’re doing follow-up ministerial meetings. In May, we had three in Jeju, and in August, we’ll have seven more — some in Busan, some in Incheon. Gyeongju will host the Leaders’ Summit.
We’re bringing high-level officials. Our vice ministers of production and SMEs are coming to continue collaboration — especially on formalization and tools for SMEs.

Why is Korea such a unique partner in defense?

It’s not only that they sell us things — they transfer technology. That makes a big difference. We started this relationship 10 to 15 years ago. We’ve developed trust and learned to work together.
Peru is one of Korea’s biggest partners in defense. We have three attaches — air, navy, army — which is rare, the only one in Asia.

Officials pose at the groundbreaking ceremony of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' joint project with SIMA Peru S.A. to build four warships for the Peruvian Navy, held at SIMA's shipyard, in this photo provided on Jan. 12. [HD HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES]

Can you give examples of defense collaboration?

We coproduced the KT-1P instruction airplane. We’re building both civilian and military ships with Peru's SIMA shipyard in Callao with Hyundai Heavy Industries. Hyundai Heavy Industries won the big contract for SIMA after competing with the top shipyards in Spain, France and Britain. The key was their offer of technology transfers and training for our personnel.
We signed an MOU to explore cooperation on submarines. Historically, they (Peruvian submarines) were German, but now, because of our excellent relationship, the first option is Korea. If we add submarines to the package, it’s going to be huge.
We're also working with Hyundai Rotem for armored vehicles, and with KAI for producing FA-50 and KF-21 parts.

Peru reportedly did not consider the KF-21 in its current fighter acquisition effort. Is that true?

When Korea finished the KF-21 and tried to enter the acquisition process, it was too late. Our air force said it wasn’t about quality — it was about timing. The deadline had passed.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t consider it in a new process in the future. There are many possibilities.

Are there other sectors of cooperation?

Railways are another big area. Korea National Railway is bidding for the Lima–Ancon line and Lines 3 and 4 of the Lima Subway.
I went to a railway fair — 40 percent of the floor was Korea-related. So this could be an excellent match too.

Paul Duclos, Peru’s ambassador to Korea, speaks during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at Ceviche 210 in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on July 17. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Peruvian cuisine continues to receive global accolades. What’s driving this international recognition?

In the list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2023, the best restaurant in the world, No. 1, was the restaurant Central. And its chef, Virgilio Martínez, was also nominated as the best chef in the world. The wife of the Central chef was also selected as the World's Best Female Chef.
In 2024, Peruvian restaurants were nominated again.
And just two months ago, in 2025, another Peruvian restaurant, Maido, a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine, was ranked No. 1 in the world. We also had four other Peruvian restaurants nominated in the top 50. Lima was the city with the most restaurants on the list.
Peru has won the title of World’s Leading Culinary Destination 13 times out of the last 14 editions of the World Travel Awards. It’s like the Oscars of the tourism industry.

What makes Peruvian cuisine so special?

Because we are an ancient civilization — one of the cradles of civilization. Our oldest city, Caral, is around 5,000 years old.
For example, the potato was domesticated in Peru by our ancient civilizations. We say the potato is Peru’s gift to the world. It helped many countries, including in Europe and Asia, to fight hunger. Peru has around 3,000 varieties of native potatoes. Interestingly, Koreans once thought potatoes were poisonous. It wasn't until the 20th century that they were widely adopted here. This year, we visited a potato research center in Gangwon where they grow hydroponic potatoes.
We are also a geographically diverse country, offering a wide range of unique products and superfoods. We’ve had many migrations: Spanish colonizers, African workers, Chinese, Japanese and even Koreans recently. But we don’t just copy — we fuse their food with our local ingredients.
With growing interest in K-food, we see two or three Korean restaurants opening every year. I believe very soon we’ll see some kind of Peruvian-Korean fusion that mixes the flavors of both countries.

What are some similarities between Korean and Peruvian food cultures?

I think the main similarity is the spices, in some way. Also, I see diversification is similar. We both have a variety of soups and stews. We eat a lot of seafood and vegetables.
But the main similarity is how important dining time is, being at the table with family and friends. It’s a moment of sharing, when you forget about your day or your problems.
I also see you’re trying to modernize traditional food, just like we are. And street food is very important in both countries. In Peru, you can even find ceviche in a truck.

Ceviche served at the Peruvian restaurant Ceviche 210 [PARK SANG-MOON]

Ceviche is one of Peru's most iconic dishes. What does it mean to Peruvians?

Ceviche — raw fish cooked with citric acid — is part of our identity. It is probably 2,000 years old. The methods of preparation and consumption are included in the Unesco list of intangible heritage. For us, it’s more than a dish. It’s an expression of Peru — our sentiments, our pride, our culture. When we share ceviche, we are sharing our history and diversity.
This year, we held a Ceviche Festival at our national day reception, featuring five live ceviche stations that showcased the variety of flavors, including yellow chili, rocoto and more.
Also, we’re discussing with the Korea Food and Beverage Association the idea of comparing jang and ceviche — both Unesco-listed — as cultural phenomena, not just recipes.
I took classes during the Covid-19 pandemic so I could learn to do it. At home, I sometimes prepare ceviche for my family. I don’t cut the fish well, but I can make the tiger’s milk sauce (the citrus-based marinade used to make ceviche).