Characteristic products
The basic elements of the typical Costa Rican cuisine are rice(arroz), black or red beans(frijoles), plantains and finally yuca or manioc. Potatoes, corn, tomatoes, peppers, palm hearts, etc. are also found. The chayote is a cousin of the zucchini, with a pear-shaped fruit, green, with a neutral flavor, appreciated in frying or in gratin. Garlic, onion, cumin, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and various types of chili peppers, both sweet and hot, are also used. However, the local cuisine is not very spicy, although a small bottle of Lizano salsa, chilero or Tabasco is always present on the tables of restaurants. The guanacaste tree, Costa Rica's national tree, has many virtues and its seeds are appreciated grilled.
Chicken, pork and beef are the three most eaten meats, both grilled and prepared in sauce. Lamb, turkey and rabbit are less common. Traditionally, the Amerindian peoples consumed peccary, tapir or iguana meat. Queso Turrialba is a fresh cheese with a semi-hard consistency, produced on the slopes of the Turrialba volcano in the province of Cartago, in the center of the country. Bathed by both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica abounds in fish and seafood, although the locals often prefer meat, although they will in any case delight tourists: tuna, cod, sardine, mackerel, red snapper, grouper, shark, etc. In the rivers, tilapia, trout and salmon are caught. Shrimp, lobster, crabs, octopus, squid, clams and cockles complete the picture.
Regarding eating habits, it should be noted that breakfast(el desayuno) is the most important meal of the day. Whether in Costa Rican homes or in hotels, you will almost always be offered gallo pinto, a mixture of rice and black beans. A more "continental" breakfast will include fruit, bread, jam, cereals, hot drinks, etc. Due to the fact that breakfast is generally very copious, lunch(el almuerzo) is quite light and is taken between 11am and 3pm. In the evening, dinner(la cena) is rather basic and is an excuse to gather around a table. However, these habits tend to change and the evening meal becomes more important, especially on weekends.
Fusion cuisine is becoming more and more popular, and not only in San José, a city already known for its diversity of Chinese, Italian, Indian and Japanese restaurants. All over the country, you will be able to taste in good restaurants dishes that combine local ingredients and international know-how. A national plan for healthy and sustainable Costa Rican gastronomy(plan nacional de la gastronomía costarricense sostenible y saludable) was signed during 2015 by the President of the Republic. Randy Siles Leandro, chef of the restaurant Os in Santa Teresa, on the Pacific coast, is its ambassador. It was in this framework that the Gastronomic Laboratory led by the Chamber of Catering began: today, more than 40 selected restaurants had to implement a complete menu that complies with the values of the national plan. Randy Siles Leandro is the only chef in Central America who is a member of Toques Blanches Internationales and Disciples of Escoffier International. He is also at the origin of the academic foundation Artesanos de la Gastronomía, which trains young people in social difficulties in the food industry. He is also in charge of the Autóktono project, whose mission is to preserve the country's culinary heritage while developing the use of indigenous and organic ingredients, in order to protect the environment and support local farmers, breeders, fishermen and producers, in the philosophy of the 0 kilometer.
The classics of Costa Rican cuisine
Starchy foods, especially rice, play an essential role in the preparation of Costa Rican meals, as evidenced by the national dish, gallo pinto. If its paternity is disputed by Nicaragua, it is nevertheless omnipresent in the country, generally at breakfast. This mixture of rice and black beans is seasoned with coriander, garlic and onion, then topped with fried plantains, cheese and scrambled or fried eggs (huevos revueltos o fritos), all accompanied by tortillas con natilla (small corn cakes dipped in a bowl of cream). Its name, which translates as "spotted rooster", echoes the black and white plumage of the local poultry.
But there is also the classic arroz con pollo (yellow rice with chicken and small vegetables) or arroz con carne (with ground beef). Another classic is casado, which means "married" because it was the dish traditionally prepared by wives for their husbands when they went to work. It is a hearty mixture of rice, red beans, fried plantain, white coleslaw, tomato, meat, fried egg, avocado and various vegetables. The best casados are usually those eaten in a small roadside family soda shop. There are also various recipes for stuffed vegetables(rellenos), with peppers of course, but also eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini or chayote, with a mixture of rice and meat.
Black or red beans are also important and are often prepared in the form of frijoles molidos (bean puree). Chifrijo - created at Cordero's Bar in San José in 1979 by Don Miguel Cordero - is a bean stew with pico de gallo (tomato, onion, chili) and crispy chicharones (pork belly). Patacones are plantains that are mashed and fried in the form of patties and are very present on the Caribbean coast. Enyucadosare balls of mashed cassava, stuffed with minced meat, breaded and fried.
Corn is also popular. There are various types of patties (tortillas), including chorreadas, fresh corn pancakes served with fresh cream.Eloteis roasted(asado) or boiled(cocinado) corn on the cob, often sold in markets. Finally, tamales are papillotes made of mashed corn filled with meat, wrapped in corn leaves and steamed. It is a traditional Christmas preparation. Wheat, grown in the Central Valley plateaus, is appreciated for making white bread, cakes and pasta, which are increasingly popular with Costa Ricans. Soups are also popular, such as sopa negra, with vegetables, black beans and sometimes a poached egg.
The term "chicharrones" refers to pork belly or ribs with rind, grilled or fried until very crispy. They are found just about everywhere, often with gallo pinto. Another common dish is thearrollado de carne, a minced meat loaf with hard-boiled eggs. Lomo relleno has the same filling, but is presented as a roast. The pozol is a corn and pork stew, while the frito guanacasteco is a dish made with offal. In the same genre, the sopa de mondongois a tripe soup. On the sea side, there are dishes such as ceviche, made with fish or seafood "cooked" in lime juice, then seasoned with coriander and onion. On the Caribbean coast, one can enjoy the rondón, a stew of fish, seafood, yams, vegetables and coconut milk.
Costa Rica has a wide variety of snacks to enjoy on the go. One of the most popular is the empanadas, which are shortcrust pastry or cornmeal dough filled with minced meat, cheese or vegetables. The patí is the spicier version from the Caribbean coast. Unlike the Mexican version, enchiladas here are small flaky pastries filled with cheese, potatoes and sometimes meat. Arreglados are flaky breads filled with beef, ham, cheese or chicken. The term "bocadillos" is used to describe appetizers. Costa Ricans also enjoy a good hamburguesa.
Dolces, coffee and bebidas
Of all the local desserts, tres leches is probably the most emblematic. It is a pound cake soaked in milk, condensed milk and powdered milk, usually topped with a thick layer of whipped cream. It is the typical Tico dessert for lactose lovers. Another milky sweet, dulce de leche is a kind of very smooth and rich caramel, made from sweetened condensed milk. The cajeta is more concentrated, and takes on the appearance of a nougat, while the melcochais downright hard, in the form of a brown sugar lollipop. The torta chilena is a kind of mille-feuilles filled with dulce de leche.
Queque seco is a simple cake, often in the shape of a crown and usually flavored with orange. For Christmas, the queque navideño is prepared, a version filled with candied fruits, nuts, almonds and prunes marinated in old rum. Once baked, the cake is again soaked in rum or cognac. A great classic, the coconut flan is present everywhere. More rare, the mazamorrais a corn cream. Finally, the churchill - an ice cream speciality from Puntarenas - is a nourishing granita with crushed ice, fruit and sweetened condensed milk. Ice cream(helados) is also extremely popular.
Tropical climate obliges, the sun-filled fruits are of course part of the decor. Costa Rica exports more than 10% of the world's bananas! There are also ripe pineapples, mangoes, papayas, guavas, various citrus fruits, melons, watermelons, and passion fruit or maracuyá, which is very acidic. Coconut can be eaten fresh in pieces or prepared in the form of a cake, without forgetting the coconut water that is drunk directly from the fruit, sliced with a machete. The country produces a large amount of cocoa, most of which is roasted. Nevertheless, it is a good opportunity to taste fresh beans with a white acidic pulp.
You can also taste lesser-known fruits such as the guanábana or soursop, sweet and mild, consumed in the form of juice, or pejibayes, the small nuts of the palm tree of the same name that are eaten boiled, as an appetizer. Their orange flesh is said to be somewhere between the taste of artichoke hearts and chestnuts. The tamarindo or tamarind is appreciated in the form of fruit juice with a sour taste. The zapote or mamey has an orange and melting flesh halfway between the sweet potato and the melon. Finally, the marañon is the fruit of the cashew tree, with a tangy taste reminiscent of strawberries, mangoes and peppers. Taste it to make up your mind.
With all these fruits, we will enjoy many juices, mixed with water(refrescos) and or milk(batidos). It should be noted that water is largely drinkable in the country, except in some remote areas, but you can find bottled mineral water in all stores and mini-markets without any problem. Sweetened carbonated drinks are numerous, both local and of North American origin. Horchata is a sparkling drink made from barley or rice, with a slight cinnamon taste. Costa Ricans usually drink black tea. The expression "té de hierbas" refers to infusions, most often of manzanilla (chamomile).
But of course, in Costa Rica, it is impossible not to mention coffee. It is drunk at all hours and everywhere. In offices, agencies or museums, there is always a full coffee pot available for employees and clients. It is often prepared with a chorreador, a kind of cotton filter suspended from a wooden stand above the cup. The ground coffee (the best if possible) is gently sprinkled with boiling water. It's simple, and apparently tastier. When ordering, don't forget to specify "negro" (black) so that you don't end up with an already sweetened café au lait. Costa Rican coffee is often cited as one of the best in the world.
Among the most popular alcoholic beverages is beer(cerveza), of which the emblematic Imperial has been brewed since 1924. There are more and more microbreweries in the country. Beyond the national beers, Costa Rica has a rum of excellent quality, the Flor de cana. We can also mention the guaro - from the brand Cacique in particular - a sugar cane brandy, sweeter than rum, weakly distilled, not exceeding 30°. It is used to make various cocktails such as the Pura Vida (guaro, triple sec, pineapple juice, orange juice), the Guaro Sour (guaro, soda, lime) or the Miguelito (guaro, coconut water, unsweetened condensed milk, crushed ice). Prepared for Christmas, the rompope is an eggnog made of milk, egg, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, with a dash of cognac. The wine, white or red, usually comes from Europe or South America (Chile or Argentina).
