Costa Rica boasts an off the grid farm where internationally renowned guest chefs create signature dishes based on the day's organic harvest, luxury resort seafood platters piled with langosta and camarones, and a modern menuless Mediterranean cafe that's truly family style because you'll eat what … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Coffee Making
We have two different systems for preparing our Costa Rican coffee and they couldn't be more different. Which one makes a better cup of coffee? We'll probably take a lot of flack for saying it but the ultra-modern super-automatic wins hands down. Coffee Taste & Quality - advantage … [Read more...]
Typical Menu
90% of Costa Rican restaurants have menus that are 90% the same (I just made that up but it might be true) so the menu below will give you a pretty good idea what it's like eating in Costa Rica. Unless you're in a Chinese restaurant (and possibly even if you are) odds are very good that you'll be … [Read more...]
Fast Food in Costa Rica
“Fast food” has been in Costa Rica for decades in the form of Pollo Frito which as the name implies will fry you part of a chicken and Sodas which offer quick traditional meals. The quality varies a lot. The soda El Río on the southern edge of La Fortuna near Arenal volcano has excellent, hot … [Read more...]
Costa Rican Cuisine
Visitors to Costa Rica sometimes comment that the food isn’t very exciting. On the tourist trail, it is easy to get the impression that Tico cuisine is rather unimaginative and nondescript, in part due to the ubiquity of Gallo Pinto. Rice and black beans cooked together with barely a hint of onion, … [Read more...]
Batido, Refresco, or Natural – Fruit in a Glass
The first time we leaned our bikes against the side of a typical soda twenty five years ago and saw the mystery phrase "batido - ¢80, con leche ¢100" followed by a list of what our phrasebook told us were mostly fruits - maracuya, piña (pineapple), papaya, guanábana, mango, cas, tamarindo, chan, … [Read more...]
Costa Rican Gallo Pinto Recipe
No one who's ever visited Costa Rica is likely to forget gallo pinto, and those who haven't visited rarely understand how people can be so enamored of rice and beans. It's on every typical menu. Ticos look at you like you're a little crazy if you ask how to make it; sort of like if you asked a … [Read more...]
Costa Rican Tamale Recipe
Tamales are a traditional Tico Christmas specialty, but many tipico restaurants serve them year round for the tourists, and if you're a really good boy sometimes Christmas comes in July. We met Emilse and Joya at their home in Pital, and in the course of the small talk about what we liked about … [Read more...]
Ensalada Palmito Recipe (heart of palm salad)
Read the story of our introduction to Costa Rica and authentic typico ensalada palmito. The first day of our honeymoon, and the beginning of some of the best friendships we've had the privilege to enjoy over the past twenty two years. Ensalada Palmito Recipe (heart of palm salad) ½ of a palm … [Read more...]
Costa Rican Ceviche Recipe (Marinated Raw Seafood)
Sue and I are both sushi fans, so when we heard about ceviche we jumped at a chance to try it. Now it's our favorite boca by a long shot. You can't beat an ice cold beer (literally if you're in Guanacaste, because they traditionally serve it over cubes), a dish of ceviche, and a sunset over the … [Read more...]
Sopa Negra Recipe (Black Bean Soup Costa Rican Style)
Sopa Negra is what we always order at the bottom of the hill. When you're cycling the bottom of hills can be pretty chilly places even when it's 70 °F. Sweat soaks your clothes as you climb, then refrigerates you evaporatively when you coast down. A steaming bowl of black bean soup is perfect at … [Read more...]
Costa Rican Vinagre Chilera Recipe
The only thing that appears on a Tico table more frequently than Salsa Lizano is Chilera (you'll have to ask for salt and pepper outside of tourist restaurants). Our friend Roman taught us how to make it over the course of few weeks at his coffee farm in San Francisco. This is my personal favorite … [Read more...]
Sopa de Pejibaye Recipe (Palm Fruit Soup)
This dish may be more unique to Costa Rica than any other. Pejibaye's are not commonly eaten anywhere except in Costa Rica. 10-12 pejibayes 3 cups chicken stock 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil 3 cups milk 1 onion chopped 3 cloves garlic chopped or pressed 1 red, yellow or green sweet … [Read more...]
Arroz con Leche Recipe (Rice Pudding)
Costa Rican Style Arroz con Leche Recipe (Sweet Rice Pudding) 2 cups (470 ml) rice 4 cups (950 ml) milk 4 cups (950 ml) sugar 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cloves or 6 whole cloves ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) grated fresh nutmeg 4 oz (110 … [Read more...]
Rice Tico Style Recipe
Rice Tico style is the base for many meals including half of the ingredients for gallo pinto, stuffing for tamales and found on every casado plate. 3-5 sprigs cilantro (coriander leaf) 1 small or half a medium onion ½ small red or yellow sweet pepper (optional) 3 cups (700 ml) chicken … [Read more...]
Food is Average
Out of hundreds of travel reviews we’ve gotten we’ve never had one that spontaneously raved about the food in Costa Rica. Occasionally someone will mention a particular restaurant or resort, but on average they find the food pretty average and prices high. It's hard to make much of an … [Read more...]
English to Spanish Food Dictionary
general | fruits frutas | nuts nuez | seafood mariscos deserts postres | drinks bebidas beans & rice—gallo pinto—literally painted/spotted rooster. Black beans and white rice are cooked together with a hint of onion, red pepper, cilantro and broth to create this ubiquitous national dish. … [Read more...]
Spanish to English Food Dictionary
general | fruits frutas | nuts nuez | seafood mariscos deserts postres | drinks bebidas ajo—garlic arroz con pollo—if it were Chinese it would be chicken fried rice. Shredded or chopped chicken fried with rice and a variety of chopped vegetables. boca or boquitas—snack. The one word … [Read more...]