Costa Rica food has probably never won any culinary awards or impressed international food critics. It is not well known for its unique combination of flavor, or daring variations on modern classics and you won’t find nearly as many restaurants featuring Costa Rican food survive in the United States unlike its Mexican, Peruvian or Argentinean brethren. However, Costa Rican food has a few things going for it, and it definitely grows on you.

Costa Rica Dining — Filet of fish is a Costa Rican favorite

The most typical meal that you can find absolutely anywhere in Costa Rica would be a “Casado”. A veritable marriage of a variety of foods on one plate, that cover the majority of the food groups, and often come with a fresh fruit drink for one set price. The bedrocks of a casado include white rice, black beans, a fried sweet plantain, a salad and some form of meat such as chicken in sauce, beef in sauce, pork chops or fried filet of fish.

For the vegetarians among us, I once tried a vegetarian casado in an effort to be healthy. The meat was replaced with French fries. Very funny guys!

For the non-vegetarians among us, a sinful pleasure among these parts are deep-fried fatty bite-size cuts of pork called chicharrones. Because we are in the tropics, chicharrones are covered in lime juice and lecherously devoured one after another, often coupled with a cold glass of Imperial beer.

If you want to look like a local, eating all foods with mayonnaise is a dead give away. Some restaurants even serve ketchup and mayonnaise as a dressing on their salads, sandwiches and gallos (which from what I understand are pulled chicken or meat with a corn tortilla and lettuce or cabbage). They even sell pre-mixed mayonnaise and ketchup in ketchup packets and jars.

Costa Rican ceviche is also served with packets of mayo and hot sauce. While some may prefer the flavors of Peruvian ceviche and ají, I prefer Costa Rica’s local version that is left to sit long enough that the fish is actually cooked and chewy and flavored with cilantro, onion and red pepper.

If you are in the market for raw food, turtle eggs are a seasonal delicacy served raw in a red Tabasco sauce similar in taste to a Bloody Mary, and swallowed whole. I prefer not to comment on why I know that.

Another Costa Rican classic is gallo pinto. This combination of black beans, day-old white rice, onions, red peppers, cilantro and Lizanos sauce (variations of course exist), is served up for breakfast! When I tried to bring this favorite home to my family in the states, it was lovingly portioned off as a side dish with dinner. I say it works either way.

In getting to my next dish, I must mention that my original claim that all Costa Rica food is bland was short-sighted. I forgot to consider the Caribbean coast where spice and coconut milk is added to traditional ingredients to create some culinary masterpieces.

However, my favorite food from the region might be considered of the low-class variety. Patí is the most satisfying little empanada I have ever had in my life. My love of this spicy shrimp, beef or pork stuffed little piece of heaven is only multiplied by its scarcity on the Pacific coast.

In Liberia a jolly little man makes rounds on his bicycle and sells pati out of his backpack to party goers at the local watering holes. His presence is always in demand, and he keeps his clients wanting more by maintaining a secret schedule. If you are so lucky as to catch a glimpse of the man, you will know who he is, and he will immediately become your new best friend.

All in all, traditional Costa Rica food succeeds in filling you up in an economical way. Whether you stick to it for financial reasons, or you have developed a small dependency on rice and beans like myself, it does the job and leaves about 75 percent of its customers satisfied.

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Filed under: Travel on October 25th, 2007