Costa Rican cuisine

Costa Rican cuisineis known for being mostly mild, with high reliance onfruitsandvegetables.Riceandblack beansare a staple of most traditional Costa Rican meals, often served three times a day. Costa Rican fare is nutritionally well rounded, and nearly always cooked from scratch from fresh ingredients.Owing to the location of the country, tropical fruits and vegetables are readily available and included in the local cuisine.
Owing to the contrast of Costa Rica's large tourist economy the many rural communities throughout the country, the foods available, especially in the more urban areas, have come to include nearly every type of cuisine in addition to traditional Costa Rican dishes. Cities such as San José, the capital, and beach destinations frequented by tourists offer a range of ethnic foods, fromPeruviantoJapanese.ChineseandItalianfood is especially popular withTicos(the local name for anybody Costa Rican;Ticais also sometimes used for women), and can be found around the country, though with varying levels of quality.Food is an important aspect of Costa Rican culture, and family gatherings and celebrations are often centered around meals.
Theindigenouspeople of Costa Rica, including theChorotega, consumedmaizeas a large part of their diet during the pre-Columbian era. Although modern Costa Rican cuisine is very much influenced by theSpanishconquest of the country, corn still maintains a role in many dishes. Tamales, originally introduced to all ofCentral Americaby theAztecs, are served at nearly all celebratory events in Costa Rica and especially atChristmas. They are made out of dough ofcornmeal,lard, andspices, stuffed with various mixtures ofmeat,rice, and vegetables and wrapped and steamed in aplantainorbananaleaf. TheChoroteganative people prefer to stuff their tamales withdeerorturkey meat,pumpkin seeds,tomatoes, andsweet peppers.
TheCaribbeancoast of Costa Rica comes with its own host of Afro-Caribbean influenced traditions. During the holidays, it is common to find pork cracklings and a tripe soup calledmondongo. Rice and beans is a common dish on the Caribbean side, not to be confused withgallo pintoand other dishes containing rice and beans; this dish consists of rice and beans cooked incoconut milkand typically served withfishand some type of fried plantain
Rice and beans are included in nearly every Costa Rican meal, especiallybreakfast.Potatoesare another Costa Rican staple, part of the starch-richTicodiet.Porkandbeefare the most commonly eaten meats, but chicken and fish dishes are also widely available, especially on the Caribbean coast.
The plantain, a larger member of the banana family, is another commonly used fruit and can be served in a variety of ways. Ripe plantains (platanos maduros) have a sweet flavor and can be fried inoil, baked in ahoneyor asugar-based sauce, or put insoups. Green (unripe) plantains can be boiled in soups or can be sliced, fried, smashed and then refried to makepatacones. These are often served with a bean dip orguacamole.
Salsa Lizanowas created in 1920 by a Costa Rican company called the Lizano company. During the past century, it has become a commoncondimentand element ofTicocooking in both households and restaurants all around the country. It has a tangy flavor and combines the following ingredients: water, sugar, salt, onions, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, pepper, mustard,turmeric, andmonosodium glutamate.Salsa Lizanois used in many Costa Rican dishes, includinggallo pintoandtamales. It is compared toWorcestershire sauce.
Gallo pinto, which has a literal meaning of "spotted rooster", is the national dish of Costa Rica. It consists of rice and beans stir-fried together in a pan to create a speckled appearance.It is usually served for breakfast along with scrambled or fried eggs and sour cream or cheeseSeasonings in the mixture of rice and red or black beans include cilantro, red pepper, onion, celery, andSalsa Lizano.Gallo pintois also the national dish of neighboring countryNicaragua. There is controversy throughout both countries and their regions as to the perfect composition of beans, rice, and spices in this dish.Pinto, the term the locals use to refer to this dish, is available all over the country at very affordable prices.
For lunch, the traditional meal is called acasado.Casadomeans "married man" in Spanish, acquiring the name from when wives would pack their husbands a lunch in a banana leaf when they left to go work in the fields.It again consists of rice and beans served side-by-side instead of mixed. There will usually be some type of meat (beef, fish, pork chop, or chicken) and a salad to round out the dish. There may also be some extras like fried plantain  (pataconesormaduro), a slice of white cheese or corntortillasin accompaniment.
At family gatherings or for special occasions, it is very common to preparearroz con pollo, which is rice with chicken mixed with vegetables and mild spices, and of courseSalsa Lizano.
Bocas, orboquitas, are Costa Rican-styleappetizers, usually consisting of a small snack item or portion of a dish typically served at a main meal. These are available at most bars, taverns, and at large gatherings and parties.Pataconesare a typicalboquita, along withgallos, or smallTico-styletacosconsisting of beef, chicken, orarracache(a starchy vegetable) inside a warm corn tortilla.
Ceviche, sometimes spelledseviche, is a dish made up of raw fish andseafoodthat can includeoctopus,shrimp,shellfish,tilapia,dorado,dolphinfishandsea bass. The raw seafood is marinated in lemon juice, which "cooks" it by breaking downproteins. It is then mixed with seasonings such as coriander, onion, garlic, cilantro, and chilis.
Chicharrónis fried, crispy pork, popular in bars and with locals.Chifrijo, a dish that has become popular since the 1990s, earned its name from its combination of the two foodschicharrónandfrijoles(beans). Accompanied withriceandpico de gallo, a fresh salsa, this snack is often served with tortilla chips.
Olla de carne, or "pot of beef", is a stew that comes from the Spanish influences in post-colonial era Costa Rica and contains beef,cassava(a starchy tuber used inTicocooking), potatoes, maize, green plantains,squashorchayote, and other vegetables.
Small snack stands or stores, calledsodas, often sell corn turnovers calledempanadasfilled with ground beef, chicken, cheese, or a fruit mixture. Another popular snack or side dish isyuca frita, or friedyuca(cassava), comparable to fried potatoes but with a sweeter flavor.
Chorreadasare not as common as many other traditional dishes. They are corn pancakes and are served for breakfast with sour cream.
Coffee, already one of the largest exports of Costa Rica, is offered in nearly every restaurant and household in the country. Served black or with milk (known ascafé con leche), it is generally strong and of high quality.
Agua dulceis a commonTicodrink, made oftapa de dulce(raw cane sugar, also calledpanela) dissolved in hot water. This drink is particularly common in the cooler highlands and surrounding mountains of the country.
Frescosandbatidosare drinks made from fresh fruit and milk or water. Among the fruits used arepapaya,mango,watermelon,cantaloupe,pineapple,strawberry,blackberry, banana, carrot,tamarind,guanábanaandcas, a sour fruit native to Central America.Horchata, the cornmeal and cinnamon drink that originated in Spain, can be found in the northwesternGuanacaste Province.A holiday beverage of homemadegingerbeer is found on the Caribbean side of the country, and is sometimes mixed with wine.
Refrescosis the local name for bottled soft drinks, which are widely sold.Most common brands are available, although in rural areas, vendors sometimes sell soft drinks in plastic bags, which are cheaper than cans or bottles.
Agua de pipais a green coconut with a straw to drink the water found inside. Vendors, calledpiperos, typically walk around selling green coconuts in touristy areas, and when one is purchased, the vendor chops off the top with amacheteand puts a straw into it.
A commonly used term in Costa Rican restaurants isagua con gasmeaning  "water with gas", or carbonated water. Water is generally potable in Costa Rica, but this is not guaranteed.
In Costa Rica,beeris the most commonly consumed alcoholic drink.Imperialand Pilsen are the two most widely popular beers in the country. Imperial was founded in 1924, Pilsen in 1888. Imperial is known by the eagle on its label, which is emblazoned on shirts all over the country, and has a slightly lower alcohol content than Pilsen. Bavaria is another local beer, slightly more expensive and enjoyed by a smaller crowd.Microbrews are also increasingly available in Costa Rica, including those made by the Costa Rica Craft Brewing Company.
Micheladais a popular beer in Costa Rica. While slightly different from the Mexicanmichelada, the Costa Rican one is a bit more simple. It is composed of fresh lime juice, beer, and salt around the rim of the glass.It can be ordered at practically any restaurant orsoditaand is very refreshing.
Local hard liquors include rum,guaro, andcoffee liqueur. The most commonly served rums areRon Centenario, which is made in Costa Rica, andNicaraguanrumFlor de Caña.Guarois a strong-tasting hardliquormade fromsugarcane, similar tovodka.  It is usually consumed in a mixed drink called aguaro sour, or by the shot. The government created the brand ofguarocalledCacique(meaning chieftain) in an effort to stop illegalmoonshinemanufacturing.Café Ricais a locally produced coffee liqueur. There is also a traditional alcoholic beverage originally made by theChorotegapeople ofCosta RicacalledVino de Coyol(Coyol wine). It is made by fermenting the sweet, waterysapof thecoyoltree, a spinypalm.
Most Costa Rican desserts are made up of milk, corn, sugarcane, eggs, and/or fruit. In the province of Limón, a majority of the desserts are made from a coconut base as well as from fried plantains. In the province of Guanacaste, the main dessert ingredient is usually corn, while in the Province of Puntarenas it is primarily milk, coconut, and fruit.
One of the most common desserts istres leches, meaning "three milks" in English. It is a wet cake composed primarily of milk and sugar. The ingredients include whole milk, evaporated skim milk, sweetened condensed milk, as well as heavy cream, eggs, sugar, ground cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla extract, and dark rum.It is available at many restaurants and is usually eaten after lunch or dinner.
Fruit salad is another popular dessert in Costa Rica. Some of the fruits typically used in this dish include fresh watermelon, mango, papaya, pineapple, and banana.
A typical Christmas dessert isqueque navideño, or Christmas cake. It is similar to fruitcake and is made with dried fruit. It is a sweet and heavy dessert, which is usually soaked in rum for a few days before it is baked. However,Ticosoften joke about getting drunk from the cake. Costa Ricans enjoy giving thisChristmas cakeaway to friends and families as gifts.