Delicious: Ceviche! It means "delicious" in Spanish

The first time I ever had ceviche was in the Mission district of San Francisco. My friend Ian was shocked--shocked!--that I had never tried it, and had never even heard the word "ceviche" spoken, though I spent a lot of time saying it once I heard it. Ceviche! Ceviche! It is fun to say. He dragged us, me and his wife, to a tiny little hole-in-the-wall on Mission Street, and prodded me forward to request one ceviche, please. One fish taco. Because I trust my friend Ian, as he is as big a foodie as I am ever likely to meet in this life unless Anthony Bourdain and I finally consummate our love, I trusted that the very notion of a fish taco, setting aside all of the offensive metaphorical connotations, was not a very terrible idea.

It was possibly the least terrible idea anyone's ever had. It is not just a fish taco--it is a crunchy tortilla layered with the freshest, most crisp-tasting chunks of delicious seafood you have ever melted in your mouth. I spent a long time thinking it was something I could not actually attempt at home--how could I possibly replicate that perfect tang and mixture of flavors? But it turns out that if you've got a few hours to throw a citrus marinade on a bowl of fresh white fish, you can make yourself another one of those perfect no-cook summer suppers you've heard so much about. And if you haven't had ceviche, it will change your life.

--photo via foodista.com

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