country Essentials · 9 foods
Costa Rica Essentials
A considered first route through Costa Rica: the foods that carry its everyday habits, celebrations, ingredients, and memory.
Explore all Costa Rica foods →THE
ESSENTIALS
The complete shortlist
9 foods to know.
Each selection includes the reason it belongs here—so this is a guide, not just a pile of names.
Costa Rica
Casado
Complete Costa Rican plate of rice, beans, salad, plantain, tortilla and a chosen protein.
Costa Rica
Gallo Pinto
Rice and beans fried together with aromatics, Costa Rica’s everyday breakfast staple.
Costa Rica
Costa Rican Ceviche
Ceviche tico
Costa Rican citrus-cured fish with onion, cilantro and sweet pepper, a coastal specialty.
Costa Rica
Costa Rican Tamales
Tamales
Banana-leaf-wrapped corn tamales with pork, rice and vegetables, especially associated with Christmas and family tamaladas.
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Arroz Guacho
Guanacaste-style sticky rice cooked with seafood in a rich, asopao-like broth.
Central Valley, Costa Rica
Potato Hash
Picadillo de papa
Cartago-style potato hash with ground beef and vegetables, served as a Costa Rican home side.
Costa Rica
Horchata
Horchata de morro
Morro-seed and rice drink with cinnamon, the Costa Rican member of the Central American horchata family.
San José, Costa Rica
Chifrijo
San José-born bowl of rice, beans, chicharrón and pico de gallo, served as a Tico bar snack or light meal.
Limón, Costa Rica
Rondón
Limón Afro-Caribbean coconut stew with seafood and root vegetables.