What foods to order when you visit Costa Rica.
What foods to order in Costa Rica.
For those of you coming to Costa Rica for your first visit you may be wondering what foods to try when visiting C.R. As a local, I grew up with these foods and cooked them for my family, so it is very easy to offer advice. The foods are nearly always cooked from scratch from fresh ingredients, providing a healthy source of vitamins. The climate here allows for year-round cultivation of most fruits and vegetables, making it easier to find fresh products.
In Costa Rica you can easily find small “sodas” on the side of the road or in the towns and these offer local foods at very good prices. You can get a very delicious and filling meal for and average price of $10 including a beverage of fresh fruit. My husband and I often share these meals and are satisfied, so if you are a light eater take this into consideration and make your budget go further. Below are few options of foods to try when visiting C.R.
The predominant staples in Costa Rica are rice and beans, you will find them in any local home and most restaurants. What you will find on the menu is typically a “Casado” which consists of rice, beans, ripe plantains, a salad and your choice of protein. This very healthy and filling meal will cost an average $6.00 USD. As part of the options for protein, you can choose “carne in salsa”, which is beef cooked in a tomato base sauce; there is also “pollo en salsa”, which is chicken cooked in a tomato sauce.
Also, commonly on the menu you will see “arroz con pollo”, rice with chicken; “arroz con camarones”, rice with shrimp; or “arroz con cerdo”, rice with pork. All of these are a mix of rice with whichever protein and seasoned with red bell pepper, onion and lots of cilantro. These rice dishes will look yellow because it is common to use achiote in the CR cuisine and this is a natural coloring that is produced from a fruit. This dish comes with salad and French fries and has an approximate cost of $10, a great meal for two people to split.
Some sodas offer “olla de carne” on specific days. If they offer this meal to you don’t hesitate to accept. The olla de carne is a beef soup cooked with many typical vegetables such as chayote, yucca, tiquisqui and platanos, along with other traditional veggies such as potatoes, carrots and corn. Many times this dish is made over a wood stove which adds an amazing flavour. This comes with a side dish of white rice and has an approximate cost of $10, also a great meal to split.
I am getting hungry just writing about all these wonderful foods. Hope that when you plan your visit to Costa Rica you consider the local sodas to experience the true flavors our country has to offer. If you are looking to buy property here are a few tips also.
Of course there are many international restaurants in Costa Rica that take advantage of the fresh ingredients to make wonderful dishes. In many towns you can find a few great options to choose from. I always encourage trying seafood as it is freshly caught and delivered. Here you can find lots of information about Costa Rican cuisine.