Costa Rican Food and Drinks

Like every country in the world, Costa Rica has its own traditional cuisine. Some of it seems pretty typical of Latin American countries and some of it seems pretty damned strange. 

When I first arrived, my first dinner (sitting across from my host mom, unable to properly communicate), consisted of Cas (a drink made from water, sugar and an indigenous Costa Rican fruit called Cas), and a pasta made from cream, almonds, shredded carrots and tuna. It sounds bad, but it was actually amazing. The canned tuna is really different here. 

DRINKS

Usually, when buying a daily special for lunch, it will come with a bebida naturale, which is either a fresco (fruit, sugar and water) or a jugo, which is more like the juices that we are familiar with in the states. This can include passionfruit, pineapple, orage, pear, guava, papaya, etc. They are all amazing. 



The pretty much national beer of Costa Rica, which is sold absolutely everywhere, is Imperial. I think it tastes most like Bud Light (which means that I don't really like it). 

Not to be forgotten is the all important drink cafe! It can be cafe negra (black) or cafe con leche (with milk). No matter what, it is strong and of high quality. Costa Ricans take their coffee very, very seriously.


TYPICAL FOODS 

Rice and beans (arroz con frijoles) is everywhere you turn: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Typically, its served as gallo pinto: black beans and white rice stir-fried together. This is the national dish of Costa Rica and Nicaragua!
It is usually served a shown, for breakfast, with scrambled eggs and some type of bread.

Plantains are also widely available, either unripe as patacones or ripe as maduras.
Maduras
Patacones

A Casado (literally translating to "married man," because this is what would be packed by wives for men going to work--it probably still is) is rice and beans, side by side instead of mixed, meat or pork and a salad. Likely, there is also some maduras for a sweet afterwards.


Especial occasions in Costa Rica call for Arroz con Pollo (chicken and rice). My host mom made this one night the traditional Tico way and it was AMAZING!
(Like in Ireland, their versions of salads include a couple pieces of lettuce, or lechuga, and a tomatoe if you're lucky!)

This is when I get into the interesting one that doesn't sound at all appetizing but was very nice in a small quantity before my stomach regected it all. Ceviche is a dish of raw fish cured in citrus juices (by this I mean the strange lemons and limes that they have here that are orange on the inside, green on the outside, and no one can tell the difference between them) and spices. It has raw onions and cilantro, usually.



DESSERTS

My personal favorite happens to be a drink that originated in Spain: Horchata. It's a ground rice and cinamon drink that's creamy and sweet, it's really good!


There's the very popular dulce de leche, which is caramelized condensed milk, essentially. But that is also very good!


Baked plantains (maduras) are frequently served as desserts, also.

So far, that's all I have tried!