Food 30 -- Comida tipica

Again, I couldn't think of a NaBloPoMo food topic, but Carlos gave me the idea of talking about the kinds of food that I normally eat here for lunch or that ticos in general eat -- some of the comida tipica ("typical food") of Costa Rica.

Costa Rican food is bland. They don't usually use spices in anything and there are no food items that really stand out as "Costa Rican." Two staples of every meal here are rice and beans (both with no added spices/flavorings). A very Costa Rican breakfast consists of gallo pinto -- black beans mixed up with rice and some onions and peppers. This can be topped with natilla (sour cream). I used to really like gallo pinto, but now I don't ever eat it. That's actually how I am now with all beans -- I have reached my lifetime bean intake limit (with the exception of jelly beans of course!).

One lunch that I really like is platano con queso -- a ripe cooked plantain slit along the top with melted cheese inside. It might sound weird, but it's really good. Usually with this lunch, they serve a pati -- kind of like an empanada (if you know what that is...). Think of a small, fried crescent-shaped roll filled with cheese or meat. I really like them!

One typical food item eaten during holidays is the tamal -- corn mush with vegetables and meat tied up in a banana leaf and boiled until cooked. These are absolutely everywhere during Christmas-time. I also saw a program on TV once where some ticos were trying to break the world record for making the longest tamal!

Costa Rica doesn't have the type of varied delicious cuisine that countries like Peru or Mexico have. Most meals consist of rice, beans, meat, and a vegetable. They almost never have tortillas incorporated into meals here -- boo, I love tortillas!