Who doesn’t hope to live a long, healthy, happy life? Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, home of Nosara, is fortunate to be one of only five Blue Zones in the world. A Blue Zone is an area where residents enjoy an extraordinarily long, healthy lifespan. Residents of these unique locals often live to be over 100 years of age. Maybe there’s more to the Pura Vida lifestyle than we thought. Learn about a few Costa Rican dishes that have proven in some way to contribute to a healthy and long lifespan.
Gallo Pinto
Most Costa Ricans refuse to start their day without their signature breakfast. Gallo
Pinto. This dish is a blend of rice and beans (either black or red), garlic, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and most importantly “Lizano sauce”. This sauce is what makes “gallo pinto” so unique, it is a typical vegetable-based tangy sauce that has been in the pantry of Costa Ricans since 1920. The end product is a relatively dry dish composed of savory rice and beans. Gallo Pinto is usually served with cooked eggs, cheese, sour cream, and sweet plantains.
Olla de Carne (beef and vegetable stew)
This traditional Costa Rican dish is usually eaten at lunchtime, especially on cold days. It is a beef stew of bone-in meat and a variety of cut vegetables; typically: corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cassava, chayote (type of squash), and yam, to name a few. All the vegetables and meat create a flavorful and rich soup. Olla de Carne is typically served with white rice and some people squeeze lemon over it for the final touch.
Sopa negra (black bean soup)
Sopa Negra is a dense, rich soup with a base of cooked black beans. Some of the beans are blended to give this dish the thickness it is known for. It also has finely chopped cilantro, bell pepper, oregano, celery, garlic, onion, and salt and pepper. This amazing soup is served with slices of boiled eggs and white rice.
Casado
This popular dish is a signature lunch in Costa Rica, almost every restaurant has it on its menu. It is very filling, as it comes with two or three side dishes that vary from place to place. The base of the dish is white rice, black or red beans (unlike Gallo Pinto, they are served separately), and meat (either fish, beef, pork, or chicken). The side dishes vary but common options include salad (such as green, pasta, or russian), picadillo (cut up vegetables), fried plantains, french fries, eggs, avocado, or tortillas.
Tamal de maicena (cornstarch tamale)
Tamal de Maicena is like a wobbly jelly cake with the consistency of firm custard. Some people think of it as a dessert because of its sweetness, but most prefer it as a coffee snack. It is made of milk, sugar, freshly grated coconut, butter, cornstarch, and vanilla.
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