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Food And Drink - What To Expect In Costa Rica
By Mike McDougall, Fri Dec 9th
A traditionally mild, not over-spiced cuisine, the Costa Ricanfood has absorbed influences from the Caribbean, South Americaand Europe into its culinary cauldron. Many dishes are simplewith the staples of rice and beans tending to form the basis ofmost rural cooking. Costa Rican's are also heavily dependant onlocally grown fresh produce, particularly members of the squashfamily including courgette (or zucchini), zapallo and chayote(known as the "Christophine" throughout the Caribbean). Othertropical fruits and vegetables are also widely available andusually of good quality. The plantain, like in most of theneighbouring Caribbean, is a particular favourite and can beserved in a variety of ways; from just simply fried in butter,to being served in a honey and sugar sauce. The most famous dish of has to be "Gallo Pinto"(literally translated as "spotted rooster"), a dish brought intothe country by Nicaraguan immigrants. The dish consists of rice,coriander, onion and black or red beans and is often served forbreakfast or lunch. "Casado" is a similar dish consisting ofrice and beans, served with pork, steak or chicken and usuallyaccompanied by a small portion of salad and fried plantains.This dish is customarily served as a dinner and is widelyavailable throughout and can provide tourists with ahearty, low-cost meal. The influence of nearby Mexico can also be seen in Costa Ricancooking - the use of corn tortillas and "gallos" (resembling asoft Mexican taco), are extremely popular. Locals stuff their"gallos" with a vast array of different fillings, usually acombination of diced meat, vegetables and spices. They make anextremely versatile snack or meal that, again, won't cost theearth and are widely available throughout the country. (Article continued below)
In terms of fish, has a plentiful supply of abundantfishing waters. With 212km of coast along the Caribbean Sea anda whopping 1,016km along its Pacific coast you would expect tofind the country saturated with well-priced, extremely freshfish. Unfortunately most of the fish is exported elsewhere sowhilst fish is still readily available in and usuallyvery fresh, the prices can be a little high, especially whencompared to the island's staples. If you're wondering what to wash it all down with then the drinkCosta Rica is most famous for is indubitably coffee; the nationslargest export alongside bananas. Costa Rican's drink a lot ofcoffee; it tends to be strong and served with milk. Most of thebest stuff tends to be exported so expect the quality to varythroughout from the sublime to the pretty awful.Don't be surprised to find it served alongside your dinner aswell. Other favourite local drinks are "Horcheta" (a cinnamonflavoured cornmeal drink), "Agua Dulce" (a sweetened water baseddrink usually served at breakfast) and the typical lunchtimedrinks "refrescos", which consist of liquidized fruits mixedwith either milk or water. For those seeking some intoxication in their beverage then thebest bet is probably beer with Imperial and Bavaria being two ofthe favourites. Wine is not such a good option, locally producedstuff is a definite no-no and imported stuff tends to be priceywith the exception of wines coming from Chile or Argentina. Thelocal moonshine is known as "Guero" and is so cheap that theyvirtually give the stuff away, it's made from sugar cane and isa favourite of the locals, even the poorest of whom can affordit. In more rural areas you can expect to find a drink called"Vino de Coyol" - a wine that's made from the extracts of aspiny palm, this stuff is apparently lethal so tourists shouldcertainly beware when mixing it with the hot, equatorialclimate. About the author:Costa Rica, a rich and varied land with a breathtaking range offlora and fauna, home to some of the world's rarest speciesof... yes, yes we know all that, but what's the food like? Andwhat's the local tipple? I'm giving you the essential guide | Sign In |
