Guanacaste is a region characterized by lush natural landscapes and a gastronomic culture full of delicious dishes such as creamy corn rice, rice and beans (gallo pinto), achotada chicken, tamales, and traditional tortillas made from white or yellow corn. Without a doubt, corn plays a leading role in Guanacaste cuisine, evident in various regional dishes and beverages.
The typical Guanacaste cuisine consists of dishes with high nutritional value, since from its origins, preparations aimed to meet the daily nutritional and energy needs of farmers. Therefore, you will find complete dishes made with proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vegetables, and tubers. Examples include stone soup, a broth made with milk and dough balls seasoned with cheese. There are also the famous stews and picadillos, prepared with vegetables, sweet chili peppers, and aromatic herbs; among the most emblematic are the traditional pebre, a stew of iguana meat and corn dough, or chanfańa, made with pig viscera and corn dough.
The traditional tayuya is a corn tortilla filled with any ingredients the diner desires. It is important to highlight that tortillas from Guanacaste are larger and thicker than those made in other regions of the country, with roots tracing back to Aztec cuisine, where they were traditionally prepared this way. And not to forget Guanacaste beverages, you can enjoy the famous chicheme, a fermented drink made from purple corn, or chicha de maíz with piñuela, made from sprouted corn, piñuela (a fruit), and sweet tapa.
