Costa Rica Wine & Food

Costa Ricans, as a rule, do not like hot spicy food and their cuisine is known for being tasty, yet fairly mild, with high reliance on fresh fruit and vegetables. The main staple, known as gallo pinto, consists of rice and beans.

For lunch, the traditional national dish is called a casado.  It consists of rice and beans served side by side instead of mixed. There will generally be some type of meat (carne asada, fish, pork chop or chicken) and a salad to balance out the dish. There may also be some extras like fried plantain (patacones or maduro), a slice of white cheese, and/or corn tortillas in accompaniment. Salsa Lizano is ubiquitous as a condiment and as an ingredient in cooking various dishes, including gallo pinto.

Costa Rica is not known as wine producer, but rather produces fine rum and guaro, a liquor made from raw sugar cane.