Interested in Costa Rican bean dishes? Want to know the most popular food in Costa Rica that contains beans? Our guide to food in Costa Rica gives you the facts & information you want to know.
As one of the premier tourist destinations in Central America, every year more and more Americans are becoming interested in Costa Rica and it’s food. Costa Rican food is in many ways similar to the cuisine of its neighbouring countries, although there are some dishes that are distinctly Costa Rican. With a long colonial history it is inevitable that Costa Rican food displays some Spanish influences, however, there are also traces of Native Central American cooking techniques as well as African flavors that go into making food in Costa Rica.
Costa Rican food makes heavy use of beans, which can be found in so many dishes that some might proclaim beans to be almost ubiquitous in Costa Rican food.
Famous Costa Rican Bean Dish
One famous type of food in Costa Rica that makes use of beans is Gallo Pinto, a dish that translates to ‘Spotted Rooster’. Gallo Pinto is a type of food that consists primarily of a mixture of rice and beans, with slightly more beans being used that than rice. Also added are onions, garlic, and salt. Meats are eaten sparingly, while beans provide the bulk of the protein intake in a Costa Rican diet. Beans also contain Fiber which can help counteract the negative effects of saturated fats.
Regional Bean Food Costa Rica
Food in Costa Rica varies according to what part of the country you are in. In the cities where people generally have higher incomes and are more exposed to foreign cuisines you will find a much more eclectic mix of food on offer. Often Costa Rican families will eat foreign food such as spaghetti or lasagna as would any normal family in the US. However, as you move into inland Costa Rica where the communities are more rural and traditional you will notice more of an emphasis on rice and beans based food.
Costa Rica Beans Salad
Beans and rice are usually served with a carrot and cabbage or lettuce and tomato salad. Sometimes Arroz, (fried shrimp or chicken), are found on the table instead of beans and rice. The salads are typically larger than the portion of beans and rice and that helps Costa Ricans stay in shape.
