In San José,
you’ll find practically every type of cuisine represented
–Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Peruvian, etc
– and restaurants to satisfy the most and the least
demanding tastes. “Tipico” food in Costa Rica
is varied and distinct, simple and delicious. Following
is a sampling of some you’ll come across .
Tipping in Restaurants
It is not a custom
to tip waiters / waitresses here. In a restaurant situation,
there is 10% automatically added on your bill as a service
charge. However, this should not stop you from showing your
appreciation of a service received if you feel it deserves
merit. In addition, there is a 13% tax levied by the government
on all restaurant bills besides the 10%.
Fruits and Vegetables
The fertile ground
and near perfect weather provide for an amazing variety
of delicious fruits and vegetables not often seen in North
America or Europe. Make sure they have been cleaned properly
before ingesting time.
The fruits are
fresh and hold tantalizing tropical flavours for the tongue
of the beholder. Examples of these are: papaya; piña
(pineapple); sandía (watermelon); melón (cantaloupe);
mango; mora (blackberry); granadilla and maracuya (related
to the passion fruit); mamon and mamon chino (related to
the rambutan); carambola (star fruit); guayaba (guava);
cas (a type of bitter guava); tamarindo (tamarind); marañón
(fruit of the cashew nut); nísperos (loquat); and
pipas (green coconuts).
Vegetables are
not as widely varied as are the fruits. Yet, they are treats
at a meal for those new to their textures, colors, and flavours.
Examples of these are: pejibaye (relative of the coconut,
with a taste that’s similar to a combination of chestnut
and pumpkin); palmito (heart of palm); aguacate (avocado,
actually a fruit but is used as a vegetable); chayote (waterpear);
raíz de chayote (root of the waterpear plant); ayote
(squash); guineo and platano (related to the family of the
banana); yuca (yucca of manioc); and camote (sweet potato).
Water
There is little
concern for the cleanliness and purity of your drinking
water in San José, major towns, or tourism complexes
outside of the Meseta Central. If in doubt, it is easy to
come by bottled water or just stick to pop, coffee, or beer.
Soda Blanca is mineral water.
Common Menu Terms
Al carbon……………....Charcoal
broiled
Asado……………….....Broiled
Batidos…………….......Milk shakes
Coctel……………….....Cocktail
En temporada ………..In season
Gaseosos……………..Soft drinks
Coteleta………………..Cutlet
Empanizado…………..Breaded
“Soda” is
an unpretentious cafe where a limited menu provides inexpensive
meals .
Menu Items
- Arreglados -
Sandwiches, usually made of meat, on a tasty but greasy
bun.
- Arroz con pollo - Rice with chicken
and vegetables.
- Cajeta de coco - Delicious fudge made
of coconut, tapa dulce, and orange peel.
- Casados - Includes gallo pinto, salad,
meat /chicken /pork, and fried plantains.
- Ceviche - Marinated sea bass with cilantro,
onion, and red pepper.
- Empanadas - Corn turnovers filled with
beans, cheese, or potatoes and meat.
- Gallos - Meat, beans, or cheese between
two tortillas.
- Gallo pinto - The national breakfast
dish: rice and beans fried together with spices.
- Tortilla de queso - A large, thick
tortilla with cheese mixed into the dough.
- Tortilla - Means the Costa Rican thin,
small, corn tortilla.
- Patacones - Fried, mashed plantains,
served like french fries with meals.
- Picadillo - Ground meat, potatoes and
chayote fried together with spices.
- Sopa negra - Soup made from bean gravy,
with hard boiled egg and vegetables added.
- Tamales - Cornmeal usually stuffed
with pork or chicken, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled.
A Christmas time tradition.
- Torta chilena - A many-layered cake
filled with dulce de leche.
- Tortas - Sandwiches on a bread roll.
- Ensalada de palmito - Salad with lightly
pickled heart of palm.
Much
of the information on our site as it relates to Costa
Rica is:
 Courtesy
of Christopher P. Baker and Avalon Travel Publishing.
© 2004 Christopher P. Baker. All Rights Reserved.
A2Z Languages highly
recommends Christopher P. Baker's book: Moon
Handbooks Costa Rica. Click on the image
to visit his website where you can purchase this book
or find out more about the author.
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