The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Costa Rican Foods. If you manage to be in an Costa Rican restaurant or you are visiting Costa Rica, I recommend the following:
1. Sopa Mariscos
Sopa mariscos is a tomato-based soup that is full of fresh seafood. The best place to order this soup is in a coastal town on the Pacific. There is usually squid, shrimp, clams, mussels, chunks of white fish and sometimes vegetables in this tasty dish. This soup has a delicious taste of the ocean.
2. Sopa Negra
Sopa Negra is a traditional Costa Rican black bean soup that is usually served when one is feeling a little sick. It also works as an appetiser, as it can be served with boiled rice, eggs and tortillas. Costa Rica has many things to explore and the food it offers is just as exciting to try.
3. Pipa Fría
Although not technically a food unless you eat it inside – which is also highly recommended – a pipa fria is a must when you are on the coast. A pipa fria is a cold coconut usually sold on the streets or on the beach for between $1 and $2. There will be a man or woman with a cooler full of ice cold pipa fria, with the coconuts cracked open on the spot. This incredibly hydrating and refreshing drink is the perfect midday revitalizer.
4. Olla de Carne
Olla de carne is considered the best beef broth of Costa Rica’s typical food. It consists of chunks of beef cut into medium-sized pieces that are slowly cooked with vegetables to give a very tasty and very aromatic soup or broth, with meltingly delicious meats and vegetables. It is a dish that is served with white rice. This dish is served in popular restaurants, usually once a week.
5. Casado
There are many variations of casado, the main ingredients are rice and beans, not scrambled, as in gallo pinto, but separately. The beans are only cooked and whole, although sometimes they are ground. The rice is always white and well grained. Then it has some meat, either beef, chicken, pork or fish. Sometimes with some flirtatious accompaniment like an encebollado or a little sauce, but it is not indispensable, what is indispensable in the casado are the tortillas, big or small. Fresh cheese and eggs, as well as a simple salad.
6. Arroz con Leche
Rice pudding is a very popular dessert in Costa Rica. It consists of rice boiled in milk with sugar, cinnamon and lemon. There are many variations on the recipe and you can add condensed milk, cinnamon powder, fruit or raisins, for example. It can be eaten hot or cold, it is delicious either way!
7. Chicharrones
Chicharrones are something you should try, but maybe only once during your visit. Chicharrones are a very popular snack served at parties, family reunions, bars and any other type of celebration in Costa Rica. Chicharrones are fried pork rinds. It is so beloved in Costa Rica that there is even an annual Chicharrones fair in Puriscal to celebrate and serve massive amounts of this delicious dish.
8. Chifrijo
It is a mixture of rice, beans, spicy chili, and chicharrón (pork meat processed in oil) that would give rise to the “boca”, as Costa Ricans call the accompaniment to an alcoholic beverage, the most popular in the country. The popularity of the dish is such that a foreign food chain, specialised in chicken, incorporated it in its menu. In addition, it has transcended borders.
9. Gallo Pinto
This traditional dish of rice and black beans is typical of Costa Rica. It is usually served with scrambled eggs and dipped in salsa. Although you can eat it at any time of the day, it is mostly enjoyed at breakfast. For seasoning, this dish improves when bathed in sauce: Worcestershire sauce or the hot sauce of your choice. Depending on the area and personal taste, gallo pinto is accompanied by: salami, sausage, cheese, egg or tortilla palmeada.
10. Patacones
Patacones are made from green plantains. The green plantain is peeled and cut into quarter to half inch thick pieces and quickly boiled on each side. Then each piece is flattened and fried on both sides until crispy. They are then coated with lime and salt. Sometimes they are served with refried beans on top and avocado, pico de gallo or shredded coleslaw. It is impossible to eat just one.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Central American Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.