11 October, 2021
The Flor de Itabo is a small shrub that produces white bell-shaped flowers. It is a traditional flower of Costa Rica, having accompanied Costa Rican culture for hundreds of years. Its most common current use is ornamental, but there are also traditional Costa Rican dishes that include this ingredient.
Costa Ricans have learned to utilize all parts of this plant, using the fiber extracted from its leaves to make mats, belts, and bags. The flowers are a magical ingredient in many dishes, and the leaves are prepared to tie the products grown by farmers.
Its great popularity is due to its use in building fences to mark land and areas prone to landslides, because the roots of this type of plant are strong and provide stability to the land. When discussing the nutritional properties of the Flor de Itabo, it is considered a superfood due to its high content of fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
The use of Flor de Itabo in Costa Rican cuisine is very diverse; you often see it in recipes with eggs, desserts, salads, stews, in some tamales, and in cajetas (caramel sauces). It is advised to use only the petals to reduce the naturally bitter taste of the flower because the green parts are very bitter and can spoil your dishes.
From March to June, Costa Rican tables dress in white with the beautiful Flor de Itabo flowers, which scent the tables and give traditional dishes their characteristic flavor.
