EAT IN ASIA / Destinations / Other destinations / Central america / Costa rica
Desayuno ‘Tico’ style – a traditional Costa Rican breakfast
There is nothing better to start your day than a good cup of coffee and a rich and healthy breakfast. Empanadas and tamales are a great option for all these in a hurry, but if you have more time - enjoy a traditional Costa Rican 'desayuno'.
A traditional Costa Rican ‘Tico’ breakfast (called in Spanish - desayuno) is what will give you a lot of energy for a long of time, and at the same time will be something healthy. A well-balanced proportion of proteins, carbs and a relatively limited amount of fat make that meal a really healthy one.
You might be accustomed to a breakfast that includes bread or toasts with ham, cheese, jam or any kind of a butter like a peanut or hazelnut one. Dairy products like milk with cornflakes, yogurts, cottage cheese or just a scrambled egg might be an option for you too. Finally, if you follow a really healthy diet, then you would probably have a nutrient dense bowl of dried fruits, nuts etc. or any kind of an energetic drink or just a fruit plate. Eventually, if you are more accustomed to Asian breakfasts you might expect noodles, rice, a warming soup or just some rice bus. But, here, in Cost Rica, none of these is as popular as a traditional ‘Tico’ desayuno that consists of main Costa Rican foods.
Breakfast is in Costa Rica a very important meal. It is rich, giving you a lot of energy and a good composition of carbs, proteins and fat. ‘Ticos’ have it at home or in a traditional, local, small restaurant or bar – called ‘soda’, or finally get them from local street sellers, that prepare take-away, homemade breakfast.
Desayuno ‘Tico’ style
The most popular breakfast set includes of course ‘gallo pinto’, fried plantains, natilla, and some additional products depending on the ‘soda’ or depending on the customer’s choice. Among these extras you might have scrambled eggs, fried eggs, sausages (salchichón), meat chunks in a sauce (con carne) or a slice of a local white, fresh cheese known as ‘semiduro’, ‘Turrialba’ or ‘tierno’. Sometimes you might also get a slice of a toast bread or a bread.
But what is ‘gallo pinto’, that is the base of all ‘Tico’ breakfasts? If you translate it, it actually might mean a dotted turkey. Funny, isn’t it? However, in fact that is rice with red beans and herbs like coriander or more rarely thyme. It is definitively not spicy, so do not worry about it. You can add a Lizano sauce or a chili sauce later, but it is up to. However, what we recommend, is to try ‘gallo pinto’ with no additional sauces at the beginning, and then add extra sauces including also mayonnaise or ketchup. Such an approach will allow you taste the original ‘gallo pinto’ flavor, that includes aromatic herbs. The rice is well-coked and not sticky. Red bean is in whole grains and not mashed as it is usually Mexico. It is soft, not as bitter as a black one, a little bit sweet and the bean’s peel is very delicate.
Fried plantains come in different forms. It can be in slices, in half cut horizontally or in chunks cut vertically.
Plantains are like bananas but are bigger (find out how to distinguish plantains from bananas), tougher and more starchy, if one could describe it. If it is very ripe, when the skin is almost black, plantains are very sweet and soft.
Plantains are fried as they come, so without any additional egg or flour, or might be lightly rolled in both of them, or just in one. They are deep-fried as fires are, have a golden-brown color and, soft and have a little bit spongy texture. Rarely they are crunchy and have a solid structure. And only once we got unpeeled fried plantains, that tasted more like grilled than deep-fried. They were the best!
Then, there is an almost always existing ‘natilla’. So, what is that ‘natilla’? It is a very popular Costa Rican condiment, that is as popular as ketchup and mayonnaise are in Western countries. Actually, ‘natilla’ tastes as a combination of a light cream and light mayonnaise. It has less fat and has more a yogurt-like texture. Goes very well with fries, fried plantains and as a topping on salads or even on ‘gallo pinto’.
Apart from that, all extras come. Meat, sausages, eggs in a different form and cheese. The most popular composition of the ‘tico desayuno’ is the one with eggs. Eggs are served as scrambled or fried. More or less, you might expect to get two eggs if you choose scrambled eggs, and one to two eggs if you choose fried eggs.
Selecting ‘desayuno con carne’ will allow you to try something really ‘tico’ like. The meat would be cooked in a red (not spicy) sauce, and with some vegetables usually including peppers, tomatoes, carrots and some tubers (more about tropical tubers in Costa Rica you will find here). Hardly ever you will get chicken. Mostly, it will either beef or pork, however beef dominates.
Another option for all those that would like to have a meat for their breakfast, ‘desayuno con salchichón’ might be a good choice. Generally speaking, ‘salchichón’ is a regular sausage. Better to say, a sausage that you know from Asia countries, so more like a Korean sausage and not like a German one, where meat chunks are relatively big.
All vegetarians might be glad to hear, that apart from scrambled or fried eggs, there is another option for them – cheese. This cheese that is served for a breakfast is a local white, fresh cheese. Usually, it is not fried but served as it comes.
It is a fresh cheese of a delicate texture and with a slightly salty taste, but this is depending on the type of the served cheese. Among cheeses that are eaten during the breakfast time you might find a ‘semiduro’ cheese, ‘tierno’ or a local ‘Turrialba’ one.
‘Semiduro’ is the saltiest one, while ‘Turrialba’ is the less salty one. ‘Semiduro’ type cheese is also the toughest one, wile ‘Turrialba’ is the softest one. ‘Tierno’ is something in between, both regarding the saltiness and the structure. However, whichever you choose, it is really good. And what is so nice, is that these cheeses are so Costa Rican, especially ‘Turrialba’ one that you will not get anywhere else, as it is produced only in Costa Rica, in the region of the Turrialba volcano.
Finally, your breakfast might also include a slice or two of a bread. Toasted or fresh, depending on the soda they go well with cheese or meat, or just as a base for ‘natilla’ if you are really keen of it.
We highly recommend you traditional Costa Rican breakfast as a start of the day. Not only, will you be able to enjoy a tasty meal, but will also allow you to meet local people in ‘sodas’. That is something not to be missed.
And one more thing, a lot of ‘sodas’ have their combo breakfast sets, that apart from all we mentioned above you will get a cup of coffee (check Costa Rican coffee) or juice too in the same price.
DIY with a local cheese
Another option is to have a regular meal at yours. Prepared as you like and in a more traditional way than a regular ‘tico desayuno’. Although the choice of products is wide, there is not so many things you might know and wish to have for a breakfast. Imported meat products are costly and not so often available.
Probably, because of the high price and the demand for them. Dairy products are expensive too. They are multiple times as expensive as in other countries. Milk, yogurt, sliced Western cheeses and packed puddings have high prices and the selection of products in this area is not so big.
However, eggs and local dairy products are highly available and of a good quality. Fresh cheese, as we mentioned before, like ‘semiduro’, ‘tierno’ or ‘Turrialba’ are very popular and liked. The same is for other cheese types like Bagaces or for this famous ‘natilla’. Thanks to that, you could prepare your own breakfast quite quickly by pairing these products with some kind of a bread.
French bread, toasts, sweet and salty buns or local corn tortillas can be found almost at every corner. Just add to it some vegetables and a cup of a good Costa Rican coffee and you will have a really good meal. These cheeses are really good, and what is very important, they are so local. So, try to eat them as much as you can, as it would be hard for you to get them anywhere else, apart from Costa Rica.
Energetic shakes
If you prefer to have for your breakfast something light, vegan or full of vitamins and minerals, select energetic shakes and juices. Either do them at home, or just go to one of the ‘sodas’ with ‘batidas’. As fresh, juicy and exotic fruits are available easily, you will not have any problem with composing your perfect shake. Avocados, bananas, oranges, mangoes, pineapples, papaya, guava and many more are ideal for a healthy drink. Combine it with some vegetables like celery, cucumber or beetroot and you will get a functional drink, that will detoxify your organism.
The selection of shakes is really very wide. Here is just a list of some compositions, that might give you some idea, or inspire you to prepare your own drink:
- Watermelon, strawberries, lemon
- Pineapple, oranges, papaya
- Mango, strawberry, pineapple
- Banana, papaya, oranges
- Apples, banana, oranges
- Spinach, beetroot, pineapple, banana
- Oranges, banana, soy proteins
- Pineapple, celery, cucumber, parsley
- Celery, pineapple, carrot, ginger
- Banana, pineapple, mango, avocado
- Grapes, pineapple, kiwi
- Grapes, kiwi, watermelon
- Oranges, mango, peach
- Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, bilberries
- Strawberries, banana, raspberries
- Watermelon, banana, coconut cream
- Mango, banana, papaya
- Strawberries, soursop
- Watermelon, passionfruit
- Pineapple, coconut cream
Most of them can be done either with water, orange juice, green tea, milk (vegan options are also available), yogurt or with ice creams. Depending on the composition you select, each base goes better or worse. Try to ask at the stall or in the ‘soda’, what would they recommend, as their experience might be really valuable.
Preparing shakes at home in Costa Rica, might be more complicated if you opt for a vegan version of the shake. Soya, coconut or almond milk is not popular among ‘Ticos’, and in consequence, these products are mainly only in bigger shops, supermarkets, or organic shops. Regular milk and dairy products are also limited and are relatively expensive. However, it is still worth an effort. The result is great, and what is more important – the final product is so healthy!
Sweet or salty buns
If you are looking for something else, but still Western style, a regular continental breakfast would be a good option for you too. Just go to a local bakery ‘panaderia’ and choose whatever you wish from a wide buns’ selection. Bakeries are almost at every corner. Smaller or bigger, with a sitting area or without, all of them offer a lot of super tasty products. Fresh, very often baked in the same place, with a beautiful, tempting smell, all buns, breads, cakes and desserts look so nicely and taste good as well.
A standard French baguette is one of the most popular breads. Crunchy, with a golden crust, sometimes sprinkled with cheese, tastes great just with butter. Of course, you can always combine it with some kind of a local cheese like Turrialba or semiduro, aromatic tomato and a lettuce leaf, and you will get a great sandwich.
If you are looking for something, let’s say ‘ready to go’, select a savory bun with cheese, ham, sausages and vegetables, or just get a slice of a pizza. For all those loving to start their day with a delicious cup of coffee and a sweet bun, bakeries offer a wide choice too. I would even say a wider one. ‘Ticos’ love them, and you will see a lot of local people sitting in these ‘panaderias’ and enjoying their time. You will find all kind of dumplings, phyllo pastries with a custard or ‘tres leches’ filling.
Rolls with jams, nuts, candied fruits, cinnamon, nuts, and much more. Sprinkled with sugar, with a delicate icing or in chocolate, they are nice companions to a black coffee. Decorated with crushed nuts, colorful candies, fancy patterns or just sprinkled with brown sugar, they are sweet, delicate and soft. The best way to enjoy them at maximum, is to have them with a Costa Rican black coffee from ‘chorreador’.
As you can see, not only a traditional ‘Tico’ style breakfast is popular in Costa Rica. If you are opting for a vegetarian or vegan option, you will surely find something for you. Just ask before you order, as still vegan options are not as popular as in some other countries. Especially remember about it when you are in places less visited by tourists.
Make sure, that not only these listed ingredients are vegan or vegetarian but ask also about all minor components and bases of dishes. Do not forget about the broth and the fat that was used for preparing scrambled eggs – double check whether it is on a vegetable oil, as it is not so obvious, even though you order a vegetarian breakfast!
If you do not care about it, we would recommend you trying to start your day with a breakfast that is so loved by ‘Ticos’.
