San Jose: Food

Typical Costa Rican food is referred to as Tipica comida. Gallo Pinto is a very common Tipico food consisting of rice and beans and is generally served for breakfast. Most tours that leave in the early morning will take you for a Tipico breakfast, consisting of scrambled eggs, gallo pinto, fruit and bread. A Tipico lunch is the “casada” which consists of rice, beans, fried plantains, salad and some type of meat like fish, red meat, pork or chicken. Arroz con Pollo (rice and chicken) is another popular Tipico dish.

Typical Costa Rican food is not spicy hot (picante). And, the majority of Costa Ricans have a low tolerance for spicy foods. If you like your food spicy, ask your host family if they have a bottle of hot sauce (salsa picante), so you can add your own spice.

Coffee is a part of Costa Rican culture. Most Ticos have a morning and an afternoon coffee break. At this time, people drink a cup of coffee and, usually, eat some form of bread. The afternoon coffee break may include crackers or cookies with their coffee instead of bread. These two breaks are integrated into the culture. Costa Rican coffee is VERY good and inexpensive. If you’re a coffee drinker, you may want to plan to bring some home. Coffee is perhaps the best bargain in Costa Rica. The best deal is to buy whole beans roasted before your eyes. Stores throughout the city sell per packaged premium coffees. When buying these, make sure the package is marked puro. Otherwise the coffee will already be laced with sugar-enough to make even the most ardent sugar-lover turn green. Cafe Gourmet specializes in all things coffee-related.

There are innumerable number of hawkers and small shops selling all kinds of tropical fruits and vegetables. Between April and June, you can sample more varieties of mangoes than you ever knew existed. Be sure to try a green mango with salt and chile peppers that are guaranteed to wake up your taste buds. Another common street food is called pejibaye, a bright orange palm nut about the size of a plum. They're boiled in big pots on carts, you eat them in much the same way you eat an avocado, and they taste a bit like squash.

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