A DISH FOR A KING

Here is the scenario:

Year:

1532

LOCATION:

Northern Peru, close to the border with Ecuador, South America.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

Spaniards reach Peru in search for the Gold of the Sun.

AT RISE!

SCENE I



THE LAST TWO EMPERORS AT WAR...

A civil war is wrecking havoc between two Inca brothers who claim the throne as theirs.

New epidemics attack the Indians who are no immune to any of them...Atahualpa is resting in a higher land city called Cajamarca, waiting to attack Cusco the capital of the INCA EMPIRE...

History as we know it:

The legend starts on Northern Peru. Pizarro, a Spaniard Conquistador, arrives on South American Beaches, precisely on the Coast of Tumbes. He was here before in 1528, but just for recognisance purpose.Local Indians that were subdued by The Inca King Atahualpa welcomed them as saviours or Semi gods due to their armor and helmets, and most of all fair skinned and bearded.

The so awaited 'Wiracochas' or 'godsend bearded' in their language, took several Indian hostages but kept this loyal server, this young fellow Indian Called 'Felipillo' who was born on a near Island called Puna.

He was used as their translator immediately. At first, he tried to explain of the Incas civil war which involved Huascar and his half Brother Atahualpa. Actually Atahualpa escaped when he's gotten hostage by Huascar 6 months before.

SUDDENLY...

Pizarro is checking the nearby towns, subjugated by the Incas. He notices these well dressed fishermen who are catching fishes with special arpons and spears.

Felipillo tells the newcomers that they are getting fresh fish for the King Atahualpa, "who is up there.. on the Mountains."

"And how the hell, are they gonna take this perishable seafood up into the Andes?" asks Hernando DESoto. "The Inca Sapa has a network of Chasquis or running deliverers who are the best runners of the Empire; an elite of 'human cheetahs' for the king.

They take posts or this well conceived relay system and transfer their precious delivery including delicacies as fish or seafood like shrimps to the next runner. They usually carry a natural trumpet made of big conch shells and these knotted thread called the talking strings or Quipus. Pizarro with his Heavy breathing makes a sign to his 3 commander in chief and run to their horses and succeed in capturing one of these sprinters, who surrenders after trying his best to scape. Felipillo gets there in just 5 more minutes and asks the Chasqui what is he taking to the King this time.

"Royal fish for our Inca Sapa," answers the Chasqui, worried and making faces to Felipillo who is considered a traitor to his own eyes. After a few exchange of words in Quechua, Felipillo tells the Spaniards to witness the first dish that the Western world inherited from Peruvian Soil: 'Cebiche'. The more calmed royal mailman takes a knife from his undergarment, This cutting tool is made of fish bone and at once he starts cutting the loaf of fish in slices on a dried inside out skin from a Llama.

Felipillo keeps explaining the process in detail. "The main secret is the lemon juice," he remarks. after the Chasqui is done cutting the raw meat into small pieces, The translator himself brings a bowl made of clay and starts squeezing the lemon into the meat..."after 5 or 10 minutes, the fish will turn white as a regular marinated chicken. Some hands are better or match the process of squeezing," explains the messenger in his clear Quechua. "The Inca had a craving for Ceviche from our coastline shores. He wanted the fish to reach to him in 6 hours. In order to keep his harem of concubines happy.

By noon after a shower on a thermal pool, his Concubines were going to fix him the dish adding of course onions sliced as rings and our blessed Potatoes and lettuce from our local farms," says with pride Felipillo.

Pizarro and Diego de Almagro and Hernando de Soto and their hundred and eighty conquerors, start squeezing lemons and some even start jumping against the dangerous ocean waves in order to catch some fishes with their own hands! Horses start running away and the tumbes people just look in amazement.

TIME TO GO...

The Chasqui bows and ask for permission to get himself going. We see deep into the rare air and hills, part of his own fellow messengers. Pizarro nods, But asks the Indian messenger to take a bottle of homemade 'Wine' that they brought from Badajoz de Jerez, Spain, so they will let the Inca know before hand, that they come as friends and not as Conquerors.

Father Valverde, a Catholic Converter Bishop King Charles V, makes the sign of the cross as they wave good bye to this group of Inca messenger, That start their trip, chasing away Llamas and Alpacas, Camelids from these new foreign Lands.

The legend says that the wine was already adulterated and took the King Atahualpa by surprise. The Inca had drank it with his Generals at the request of Hernando de Soto, who went to visit him at this royal tent on november 15th, 1532, the night before the capture of the last Inca emperor.

Hernando de Soto would leave PERU rich in gold, and as we know and would travel to Florida in 1539, looking for the famous fountain of youth. Which he never found by made him into immortality.

It's believed that the word Ceviche was coined by Captain Morgan, a famous Pirate from England. Properly, the word that originated the actual name was the compound word: sea beach.

Felipillo ends going out with one of Atahualpa's concubines, which made us think that he translated to his own personal interest. And Atahualpa never forgave him!

CEVICHE ( 1 OF 240 DISHES FROM PERU)

INGREDIENTS

2 or 3 lbs. of tilapia fish fillets, no bones needed

8-10 garlic cloves chopped, good for your heart

salt, 1 teaspoon

chopped cilantro, 2 teaspoons, for flavor

1 Habanero pepper or jalapeno, will open all your pores...sorry!

8 to 10 squeezed lemons on a small bowl, enough to cover the fish

1 red onion sliced and rinsed to avoid those sentimental feelings. LOL, white

onions might work too.

DIRECTIONS

Mixed in all the ingredients except the onion sliced rings

place on top of the marinated pulp those red onions. Put it in the freezer for 30 min. to let the

juice make its magic!

Serve with boiled potatoes in slices to cut down the spicy taste, you can add sweet potatoes as well.

As a decorative ingredient, you can add lettuce leaves on the side.

Serve with joy!

Rich in beta carotene and omega oil.