Re: Costa Rican food

salgud wrote:
> I'm going to my son's wedding in Costa Rica later in Feb. We'll be
> flying into San Jose, arriving late, then taking a rental car down to
> Puerto Viejo on the east coast. The wedding is on Monday, then I have
> the rest of the week to travel the country and see the sights. I am
> wondering what kinds of foods they have there and what are the things
> to try or to avoid. I've heard mixed reviews of the food there. I'm
> sure there's lots of good stuff, just need to know what it might be and
> where to find it. Does anyone have any experience in Costa Rica?

I lived in San Jose for a year when I was 14 (missionary kid).
I ate mostly spit roasted chicken, papas fritas (french fries) and
faina (it's a chickpea based flatbread of sorts... definately try it as
it's very much a local thing).

Hit some of the small neighborhood restaurants if you can... they do
some amazing open fire grilling of all sorts of meats and if you sit at
the bar, you can pick out what something already cooked on the grill or
have them cook it while you watch.
Also hit a local pulperia (they're version of a quick-mart) and get
some Alfajores... it's a moonpie of sorts with a dulce de leche
filling... mmmm! mmmmm! (course I was 14)
Get a snowcone from a street vendor if possible... they have a number
of fruit flavors but top them all also with dulce de leche. (Dulce de
leche is somewhere between condensed milk and caramel).

Have a great time!! If you plan on wearing baseball caps with
American anything on it, to keep off the sun, be careful as teenage
thugs often like to do a "cap snatching"... they either sale them later
or really love American baseball caps. Kev

.

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