A Tico taco (even one served in a soda advertising authentic Mexican food) that amounts to a piece of meat wrapped in a corn tortilla, deep fried, and then covered with shredded cabbage, mayo, and ketchup doesn’t seem very Mexican to me. Neither is it very good.

More generally, Tico attempts at Mexican food invariably fall short for failing to use the right peppers and cheeses. It’s actually even difficult to buy some of the right peppers in Costa Rica, and the Tico reliance on Tico cheese is almost pitiful. Ticos are accustomed to this cheese and have come to like it, but it’s not up to the task.

And this is before they throw on handfuls of cabbage and slather with mayo and ketchup.

I will add that the two places to watch out for the diminutive used literally is with burritos and alitas. The usual use of the diminutive for darn near every noun is meaningless, but in these two cases it can convey content. A burrito is sometimes a really small burro, and an alita is usually the half of the chicken wing with no meat. It behooves the hungry customer to verify whether the diminutive is to be taken literally or not.

Enjoyed the article though Jack. Keep ‘em coming.