Gastronomy of Costa Rica

To whet your appetite, you can order Bocas (snacks), and in particular of chicharrones (fried pork rind).

The national dish is gallo pinto. This is a dish that is based invariable rice and beans; base to which are added either eggs or meat. It accompanies this dish of cakes made from flour corn: tortillas, bread of Latin America.

The traditional dish is the casado (which means "married") and the dish is that any good wife should be able to serve her husband. This is a (large) plate filled well in which there is a full meal: a salad of raw vegetables (mostly cabbage), rice, beans and meat (beef, chicken) of fish or seafood (including delicious shrimp or even lobster).

Equally widespread, ceviche is a delicious dish of white fish (often bar) or seafood marinated in lemon juice and seasoned with onion and cilantro.

Fresh coriander and onion flavor besides most vegetable dishes, meat or fish, which ultimately give them a taste fairly uniform.

Chicken (pollo) is one of the favorite foods of the country. It is found cooked in all forms. Beef, high in the country is a real treat if you can explain desired doneness. As in many countries, are often grilled Cook until potatoes it takes a lot of persuasion for rare meat or blue! But then, what a delight ...

In Costa Rica, the dishes are generally very little spicy.
The tamales are patties made from corn flour and stuffed with meat and vegetables which are prepared traditionally at Christmas time.

The tres leches cake (three milks) is a kind of dessert to taste of sweetened condensed milk. Another dessert: arroz con leche (rice pudding) is also popular. In both cases, you must love sugar!

Drinks

The water is potable throughout the country. You can, however, prefer mineral water that you find everywhere. The freshly squeezed fruit juices (frescos and Jugos), are delicious. However, Costa Rica is not known for its wine. It does not produce and irrelevant. If the shortage is too strong, however, you find the red or white wine (vino tinto, vino blanco) in major foreign cuisine restaurants and especially French cuisine.

National Alcohol guaro is made from sugar cane. It also makes good rum and a few beers, favorite drink of the Ticos. You will find especially many American beers, lagers and light.

The Costa Rican coffee is obviously essential. It is delicious and varied. Its culture gives rise to as much care as the vines in Europe and the various plantations in the country offer flavors as diverse as the landscapes they inhabit. We must therefore try to taste, to compare the different origins and different roasts. However, beware: Ticos tend to make coffee "American." If you want a coffee flavored and full bodied, the magic formula is "no aguachacha" (ie "no sock juice!"). Another option is to identify the few cafes or restaurants that have an espresso machine.

The different types of restaurants

Soda is generally modest restaurant which offers a daily special (comida corrida, plato del día or ejecutivo) or catering to the lunch hour. There are pulperias in the smallest village. This is a small shop that sells commodities (canned beverages, bread, and milk) and sometimes fast food. The panaderias (bakeries) and pastelarias (pastries) are also sometimes sandwiches and drinks.

Along the roads you will meet with small stalls selling virtually all fruits and vegetables in season. Feel free to taste the delicious little bananas, strawberries grown and sold on the slopes of the Poas Volcano or green coconuts that you drink the juice through a straw.

It is actually difficult to find a restaurant with a Costa Rican unsophisticated ... In San Jose, the Esquina del cafe is one of the few to offer this type of cuisine (corner of Avenida 9 and Calle 3 a, behind the Holiday Inn, tel. 257-9868, open every days). To eat a grilled beef delicious Costa Rican try News Cafe, an American restaurant (!) Backed the hotel Presidente (Avenida Secunda Calle 9).

In cities, you can find Chinese restaurants, Italian, Mexican and even French ... In addition, international fast food chains are present. All in all, you should try the local fast food: the Rosti Pollos, where they serve fried chicken or roast Costa Rican way, the Pop's and Wall's, specializing in ice cream.

Most restaurants display their menu in Spanish and English. The addition typically includes a tip (propina) of 10% and 13% tax.