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VALLEY SENIORS: Food builds community for Port Alberni's Irma Garcia

Irma Garcia's favourite dish is the Peruvian ceviche
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Irma Garcia has been a resident of Port Alberni since 2022.

For Port Alberni's Irma Garcia, food is an important part of building community.

One of Garcia's favourite foods is the Peruvian ceviche (or cebiche), the most traditional culinary dish in Peru.

"Some say that this fish food is something more than a typical food, as it is considered part of the cultural expression rooted in the national identity of our people and that this food delicatessen is recognized worldwide,” explained Garcia, a resident of Port Alberni since 2022. Ceviche is made of marinated raw fish, spiced with onions, chili peppers and lime or lemon juice, salt, black pepper and other seasonings.

“Nowadays I like to entertain my friends by cooking ceviche in my house, not only for them to savour this special and different type of food, but for the social component that this brings about,” she adds.

Garcia, whose full name is Irma García Rosell de Santamaría, also known affectionately by her family members as "Irmita," was born in Bellavista, Callao, in the Lima Metropolitan area. She has fond memories of her school years in Lima, which were done at the Colegio Santa María, from Kindergarten to high school. She later graduated from a specialized academy for Graduate Secretarial College. After working for a large Peruvian fishing industry, she became an Executive Secretary for the United Nations Development Program headquarters in Lima.

She and her husband Kike visited Canada several times throughout the years, including a special trip for the wedding of their only son, Sergio, and Alana, his bride, right here at the Harbour Quay. The young couple had met in Peru at the time Alana was doing her post-graduate studies in that country.

“After the passing of my husband of 45 years, I decided to move to Port Alberni and join my son, Alana and my lovely granddaughters, already established here for several years," explained Garcia. "So I must say that it is here where I have developed more interest in the cooking of ceviche, not only for my personal preference of this food entrée, but it also allows me the opportunity of sharing this gastronomic interest with my new friends in this community.”

According to some historians, the name ceviche comes from the Spanish word "escabeche," which means "pickle." The chronicle of its beginnings can be traced back to the arrival of the first Spanish conquistadors to Peru in the 16th century, who brought all different citrus fruits to the country and whose juice became the main component for marinating the fish in the ceviche preparation. Apparently it was during this time in Peruvian history that ceviche began to fully develop as a national dish, with local and regional flavours being added to customize it.

Garcia explains that it is important to use fresh fish, such as sea bass, sole, corvina or other light white fish, which is cut into small pieces to get a full immersion.

Currently, Garcia gives her time to the Port Alberni community by providing assistance at her granddaughters’ school, as part of the volunteer group that works at the Breakfast Program. She also assists at the weekly Spanish lessons held in the Abbeyfield basement.

“Buen provecho!” (Enjoy your meal!)