The Foods You Must Try While Visiting Costa Rica

Anyone who has been to Costa Rica will tell you that it is simply one of the most wonderful places you can visit in the world. The people are so kind and welcoming, the overall vibe is so relaxed, as is encapsulated by the country’s famous phrase: pura vida, which means pure life. In addition to enjoying to beautiful biodiversity that the country has to offer, there are some truly delicious Costa Rican dishes that you have to try while you’re there.

Gallo Pinto

Gallo Pinto is the traditional breakfast served in Costa Rica that consists of a mixture of rice and beans, which can be black or red, cooked with bell pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro, and finished off with the classic Lizano sauce. The sauce is tangy, is made of vegetables, and has been a Costa Rican staple since 1920.

Gallo Pinto

Casado

Casado is a traditional meal that is comprised of many components including rice, plantains, black beans, salad, a tortilla, and often a protein is added in. This can be chicken, pork, beef, fish, chorizo, or anything else.

Casado

Olla De Carne

Olla de Carne is often served for lunch, particularly during the colder months of the year. The stew is made with bone-in beef and corn, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, cassava, pumpkin, chayote squash, and yam. The rich stew is served with rice and sometimes a squeeze of lemon on top.

Olla De Carne

Sopa Negra

Sopa negra is a black bean soup that dense and rich thanks to blending some of the beans in order to give it more viscosity. It is made with bell pepper, celery, onion, garlic, and seasoned with cilantro, salt, and pepper. The soup is often served with rice and hard boiled egg slices.

Sopa Negra

Picadillos

Picadillos is a vegetable has made with chopped up veggies that are then sauteed with onion, stock, and herbs in a fat. Many can be vegetable only but some proteins are added, including beef and chorizo. Sometimes some fruits are added into the dish as well and served with corn tortillas in order to eat them as gallos, Costa Rican tacos.

Picadillos

Copo

Copo is a delicious Costa Rican dessert, which is shaved ice. The ice is covered with a variety of toppings that can include milk powder, syrups, fruit, and marshmallows. There are lots of variations, the most famous being the Churchill, which is served with red kola syrup and condensed milk.

Copo