Contrasts define Costa Rican cooking. Coconut and tubers like yuca characterize the Caribbean cuisine of the Atlantic coast. Corn belongs to the northwestern region of Guanacaste. You will find the popular casado at any soda (small, simple family restaurant). It's a plate of rice, beans, salad, fried plantains, tortillas and meat, chicken or fish.
But the national dish is undoubtedly gallo pinto (spotted rooster), origin of the saying "you are more tico than gallo pinto".
Gallo Pinto (spotted rooster)
It's an indispensable part of breakfast, made up of the ever present rice and beans, fried together with onions and various spices. It is accompanied by eggs or meat, fried plantains, sour cream, cheese and handmade tortillas. With a fresh cup of coffee, or, even better, an aguadulce (a hot drink made with the native hard brown sugar, taps de dulce), who could ask for anything better? And because tiros like flavor, no table is without its chilero, a jar full of various kinds of very hot chilies and other vegetables in vinegar, sprinkled on food to spice it up.
Other popular dishes are the olla de carne (pot of meat), a soup made of large pieces of vegetables and beef, or the succulent and tasty mondongo (tripe soup).
Gallitos (meat or cheese with tortillas) and picadillos (diced vegetables fried with onions and spices) often accompany the menu. For dessert, those with a sweet tooth will enjoy cajeta (a fudge made with milk, brown sugar and often coconut), arroz con leche (rice pudding) and ensalada de frutas (jello topped with ice cream and canned fruit).
Ceviche (raw fish pickled in lemon juice)
To accompany one of the national beers, there is nothing better than bocas, the Costa Rican version of Spanish tapas. Ceviche (raw fish pickled in lemon juice), carne en salsa (meat in tomato sauce), la patrulla (the policecar, or refried beans with patacones, smashed and fried pieces of green plantains) are popular bocas. A Christmas, the whole family comes together to make tamales. A whole production line is needed to fill the ground corn masa with rice, pork or chicken, and vegetables. The tamales are wrapped in banana leaves, tied in bundles of two (called pings, or pineapples), and boiled. Don't miss the chance to savor a tamal if you visit the country around Christmas time!
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