~ Espanol ~   Translate to your Language by Clicking on Your Flag  

Local Ingredients  and Native Flavors of Costa Rica

Anyone looking forward to a gourmet dinner per se in Costa Rica, might be a little disappointed in the available choices; it is something a person must keep in mind when the need for fine dining is a priority.

Although many fine restaurants have opened , as of late, in the San Jose area, the outer regions of Costa Rica still remain fairly primitive in regards to the art of fine cuisine. It applies to most of  Central America as well as most of the South American nations, though the culinary sophistications of Mexico, Chile and Argentina make people assume in a similar way.

A valid reason being the economy; though Costa Rica is richer than some of the neighboring countries, its native residents lacked the necessary money flow that's required to build up an elaborate and sophisticated dining tradition.

As of now, Costa Rica flaunts the Creole culinary culture famous globally; encompassing the traditions of south Louisiana, Caribbean Islands, coastal and the colonial areas of Latin America as well as the sugar islands of Africa and the Indian Ocean.

However, Costa Rica does have its own share of offerings for which, it does not deserve to be neglected. We are talking about the general range of Latin cookery spanning over from Belize to the Amazon, the secret behind it being the great wealth of high-quality primary local ingredients: seafood, vegetables, culinary herbs and spices and fruits, the credits for which goes to the Costa Rican farmers.

Those who are more into meat may not find the beef and other meats up to the standard; however, chicken is definitely of a good quality as well as the sea-fishes like tuna, marlin, and swordfish.

Good coffee is something Costa Rica has in abundance; thanks go to the bio-diversity present in the Costa Rican soil because of the abundant fresh water-giving rise to a wide range of agricultural production.

Costa Rica excels in its culinary offerings while it comes to home cooking; Sodas, as the family-run roadside or market eateries are called offer quite a good taste and a creative recipe. Casado, the chief attraction happens to be an Arcadian lunch at a cheap price, its specialty being an assortment of European meal and the side dishes.

However, Costa Rica owns it all to its diversity of ingredients, the basis for the making of its diverse yet exotic cuisine.
 

continued on page 2 >>

Back to Top

©Copyright InCostaRicaGuide.com™ 2006 and Beyond...

All Rights Reserved