Costa Rica is a Spanish-speaking Central American country bordering Nicaragua and Panama. Its food is known for its balanced diet of fresh ingredients and mild flavors. A lot of breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes include rice and beans. You can find many local restaurants that serve homemade, traditional plates. As a first-time traveler to Costa Rica, I wanted to explore the local cuisine as part of my cultural immersion in connecting with Ticos. The locals and my host family members have helped a lot by teaching me about their culinary customs, and I’m excited to keep learning more and continuing to try delicious foods!
In the time I’ve been in Costa Rica, I’ve had the opportunity to try many different foods both in the capital city of San José and in more rural communities. Some of my favorites have been chifrijo, picadillo and arroz con pollo. There are also many other staples like gallo pinto, ceviche and olla de carne.
Chifrijo is known as a comfort food, and it is made with chicharrones (fried pork rinds or pork belly) and frijoles (beans), along with sliced ripe avocado and crunchy fried corn tortilla chips covered with pico de gallo (diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice and salt).
