I topped it off with two ladles-worth and sat down. I mixed everything together and took a cautious first bite.
Oh. My. Goodness! First sour, then spicy, a little salty and overwhelmingly fresh. The chochos themselves were a bit bitter, which surprised me, but it was only one note in a symphony of flavor. It was as overwhelming as I thought... but overwhelmingly delicious! The different textures were very complimentary. Firm, buttery beans, crunchy toasted corn, chewy fried pork and crispy red onion could all be found in a single bite. I was pleasantly surprised at how well everything worked together. The ensalada (salad) was only tomato and onion, but these vegetables were absolutely neccesary to experience cevichochos authentically. The biggest surprise to me is that the beans were cold. Most of the dish was, in fact. This actually was a refreshing plus, given that it was 70° Fahrenheit outside.
Chochos, the base of the dish, take a lot of time to prepare. They're soaked in cold water for a day, where they swell to almost twice their size. Next, the water is drained and they're boiled in new water for several hours. Next, for up to a week, the beans are submerged in salty water that gets changed frequently. This whole process is to help remove the toxic, bitter components. My chochos were a tiny bit bitter, but thankfully I didn't get sick. Almost everything else is added raw (onions, tomatoes, cilantro and limes) or fried (maduro, chifles, and fritada).
Once the ingredients are put together, it's up to the customer to choose what is added.
