Costa Rican Cuisine
Vacations are all about native food and eating your heart out; and a Costa Rica vacation is no different. Here you will find the local costa rican cuisine savory than spicy. The chefs of Costa Rica are not very fond of putting chili peppers and hot powders in their masterpieces – they prefer herbs, garlic and milder blends as seasoning. The dishes of Costa Rica include the prolific gallo pinto, described as black beans and rice, with onion, cilantro, sweet pepper and Lizano sauce. This is considered as the national dish of Costa Rica. It is very rich in protein and can be seen at breakfast tables, eaten with tortillas, eggs and the Costa Rican sour cream called natilla.
From the Hotel Costa Rica, Del Ray is just a stone’s throw away. It is very convenient to shop, visit museums, find a bank or go sightseeing all within walking distance in San Jose. Small, family-run restaurants abound in San Jose where one can get a typical Costa Rican lunch or dinner. Traditional fare is white rice, a small cabbage salad, black beans, choice of fish, beef, pork or chicken and fried plantains with a natural fruit drink. An afternoon snack choice is tamales, empanadas, gallos or arreglados. Those who like their food a bit spicy can try encurtido or a chilero.
There are also cuisines from around the globe if you will explore downtown alley and colonial homes where there are hidden restaurants offering delicious meals of international flavor. There are Japanese sushi restaurants, places offering Spanish tapas, Peruvian ceviches or even handmade Italian pastas. These eating places are found in the San Jose gastronomic center and in the Central Valley. Those staying in The Costa Rican Condo will find a wealth of gastronomical delights in the areas in and around San Jose.
For a cold beverages, Costa Rican cuisine offer refrescos or jugos naturales. They grace most eating places, even the fine dining establishments. They are the traditional drink of Costa Rica made of fresh local fruit with sugar and milk or water added creating a healthy refreshing drink. They come in various flavors like passion fruit, papaya, mango, blackberry, starfruit, watermelon and strawberry.
Another beverage Costa Rica is famous for is coffee. In many restaurants, only a light or medium roast is served, but there are coffee shops where one can order café con leche or more potent blends. For liquor, the favorite is guaro, and nightclubs’ best sellers are guaro sours or fruit punches spiked with guaro. Beer lovers have three famous Costa Rican brands to choose from – Imperial, Bavaria and Pilsen.
Wandering around the eastern coast of Costa Rica, people on their Costa Rica vacation will find this area has a unique cuisine. The main ingredients are coconut cream and coconut milk that lends flavor to most of the dishes. The rice and beans or gallo pinto has its own version here blended with coconut milk. Rice and beans are staples of the Caribbean daily diet. The dishes on the coast naturally rely on fish and seafood.
