Tica gastronomy is delicious, homemade, varied, and mestizo, the product of the mixture of ingredients and culinary traditions of other cultures. Many of the dishes that define the Costa Rican menu are made up of dishes that incorporate foods from other latitudes but that stayed to form the culinary melting pot of the country. This is the case of rice, one of the most produced cereals in the world and that Costa Ricans consume in almost all their meals.
Since colonial times, the diet of indigenous populations has been based on the consumption of corn, cassava, and animal protein obtained through hunting and fishing, while Europeans preferred a diet based on meat (beef, pork, and sheep), wheat, fats, sugarcane sugar, and traditional spices from the old continent. In the mid-19th century, what has been called "creole cuisine" was born in Costa Rica, a gastronomy with clear influences from European, African, and oriental cuisine, where foods such as corn and beans prevail, but others are incorporated such as meats, milk, cheeses, spices, vegetables, and fruits. Subsequently, with commercial relations with Europe, products such as olives, cod, pickles, and rice began to be included in the Costa Rican diet. Rice quickly became one of the essential foods in the daily menu as it was part of the various dishes consumed during the day.
Among the most representative dishes of Costa Rica where rice is a fundamental part or served as a garnish, the delicious rice with chicken, rice with seafood, dressed rice, and the famous gallo pinto stand out. And as for traditional Costa Rican desserts, you must try the succulent rice pudding, rice cake, or rice with pineapple.
