This Latin American destination is often overlooked when it comes to local cuisine. Instead holidayers favour the dramatic coastlines, active volcanoes and resplendent rainforests over their next meal. But Costa Rica is a country where anything goes and more importantly everything grows. Now the abundant and verdant surrounding farmland, jungles and rich tapestry of cultural influences are helping to put Costa Rica (slowly but surely) on the foodie map. In fact, traditional food in Costa Rica is having a renaissance. The small-town restaurants, or sodas, are serving up fresh casado and gallo pinto, while the bustling markets are selling the minty infused mucilaginous drinks and homegrown chayote, arracacha, and purple corn. Don’t deprive yourself (or your stomach) of one of Latin America’s most underappreciated cuisines and discover some of the traditional food in Costa Rica you need to be ordering...
Enjoy a Plateful of Casado
Casado, also known as ‘married man’, is as Costa Rican as it gets. While there’s no set recipe, you can expect to find a generous medley of veg accompanied by either grilled fish, stewed beef, a pork chop or piece of fried chicken and a generous helping of white rice, beans, coleslaw and salad. Each region and season will dictate the tasty sidekick, which could be anything from avocado slices and tortillas to a fried egg or plantains. Either way this comida typica (typical or traditional food) in Costa Rica is hard to miss and certainly one to try.
Hash Things out With Picadillos
What better way to enjoy Costa Rica’s bountiful supply of veg than with a warming selection of chopped vegetables sauteed to perfection in fat with sliced onions, stock and plenty of seasoning? Enter picadillos, a speciality that can be combined with just about anything. Try picadillo de zapallo (squash) or vainitas (green beans) or even add fruits like papaya before serving over freshly cooked white rice. There’s additions of ground beef or chorizo for the meat lovers and corn tortillas (commonly referred to as gallos) which are Costa Rica’s answer to the taco.
Chomp at the Ceviche
Not to be confused with its Peruvian doppelganger, the traditional Costa Rican ceviche marinates its fish-based dish in lime juice for at least an hour in the fridge, rather than a few seconds. Doing so creates a flavourful, less raw tasting and opaquer meal. It’s usually made with peeled shrimps or a firmer white fish like sea bass — although chuchecas (blood clams) have been spotted among the minced onions, tomatoes, garlic and cilantro too — before being finished with a dash of ketchup or tobasco (for the brave).
Tuck Into Tamal
It was in the nights before Christmas, when all through the land Costa Rican families would gather for tamaleada, a festive dinner showstopper that was lovingly prepared together. Nowadays, the OG pork-filled tamal have been adapted from their indigenous origins, with the introduction of rice, chicken, beef and chopped carrots. This dish is still wrapped in banana leaves, tied and warmed in hot water before being plated and slathered with a generous amount of Salsa Lizano – delicious.
Cool Off with a Cup of Copo
No Costa Rican coastline is complete without a kiosk or roving cart serving up cups of copo or shaved ice. The tasty and cooling treat is topped with everything and anything, be it milk powder and flavoured syrups or marshmallows and freshly cut fruit. With cop(o)ious amounts of sugar, this is certainly one for the sweet toothed.
Sun, Sea and Peach Palm Soup
It’s last orders and time to try the famous peach palm soup or sopa de pejibaye, a dish made from pejibaye, a starchy orange palm fruit that’s found throughout Costa Rica. The fresh fruit is boiled for a minimum of an hour to ensure it’s edible, then once peeled and pitted it’s pureed to form a soupy consistency. Add some stock, cream and plenty of seasoning and you’ve got yourself a Costa Rican delicacy.