Jackietrehorn wrote:
BB57 You are right about the Market, i totally forgot about that. Good advice.
Also, ceviche is a Peruvian dish originally.
Yes it was originally a Peruvian dish. Yes the typical Peruvian recipe is good. But just as with anything else, everyone has different likes and preferences! And I happen to prefer the Costa Rician ceviche as long as it it made very closely to that which I make from the recipe I mentioned earlier that I have had for almost 20 years. Over those 20 years I have eaten ceviche in 8 different countries and in probably well over 100 restaurants. I do not remember a single one that I did not like (some more than others) and all were basically very similar but different. In Mexico it is almost always much more spicy (hotter) as it was originally in Peru. Most Peruvian restaurants seem to have reduced the hotness factor especially here. Ticos do not seem to like food as "hot" as most other Latinos. Original Peruvian recipes call for Habanero chilies!!
Biggest difference in the two: Peruvian is almost always made with at least 50% yellow onion cut in rather large strips and most restaurants do not make ceviche far enough in advance to marinate the fish and certainly not the onion sufficiently. Many now make it to order and yes with enough lime/lemon juice the fish will be "cooked" in just a matter of a few minutes, BUT the onion will not be "cooked" (will be still hard just like eating a freshly cut onion). Costa Rican: the onion and the chiles (peppers) are cut much smaller (almost minced) and even when served within minutes of preparing the onion will be soft and the "fresh onion" taste will not be so strong. In most CR recipes the onion is also a much smaller percentage of the total (usually about 20-25%). Other than the size and amount of the onion pieces and the percentage by volume of the fish (or shrimp or other see food) which is usually much higher in Costa Rican ceviche, the two are very similar.
There are many "purists" who think if it didn't come from (the recipe) the country of origin, be it pizza, ceviche, BBQ, etc. it is not as good. My feeling is that with any food there is always room for improvement, enhancement, added ingredients, etc., especially when considering the taste palate differences in people of different countries. Modifying a recipe does not necessarily make it less tasteful nor of less quality, especially if done so to satisfy the palate of other people. JMHO
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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!
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We just cannot seem to stay on topic (so whats new) 
Not that it is right nor a good thing but it just seems to happen quite often!!
