Just wanted to give a quick update about all the wonderful foods I’ve had the opportunity to try! Costa Rican cuisine is pretty much everything you can imagine — with a side of rice and beans. These foods serve as the basis for most dishes and are considered Costa Rican staples. In my cooking class, I learned how to make the traditional “gallo pinto”, pictured below, in addition to several sweet treats and side dishes. Other students in my program have already expressed their distaste for rice and beans with every meal, but I cannot get enough! My host mom says Costa Rican food is “good but not for all the time” thus she has made us some delicious pasta dishes and other nontraditional foods. Overall, Costa Rican gastronomy has been flavorful and fresh and I can already feel my body changing as a result of eliminating processed foods from my diet. Most of my meals are eaten at home with my host mom, but several have been at restaurants or “sodas” where they serve fast, delicious meals. The portions are huge, too! In general, I want to try to replicate some of the dishes I’ve tried here with the exception of the numerous random fruits I’ve tried that are incredibly bitter! Over the next two weeks, my final days here, I hope to try more local foods and learn how to prepare them!
