Aero: Ana Northrop – Costa Rica 2016 – Food and Dining
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At home we would have breakfast every day. It was usually fruit, toast with jam, butter or cream cheese, juice, and tea. Occasionally Maria would switch it up and make breakfast sandwiches or cheese tortillas. She would do all of the cooking at breakfast and dinner, I would offer to help but she said it was fine.
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When the group would go out to lunch or dinner the restaurants were generally all similar. If a meal was provided it was often casado which is rice, beans, salad, sometimes plantains, and a choice of meat; beef, pork or chicken. When we were in Rincon De La Vieja we would have more options some of which were Bolognese or pizza (which Sarah and I waited three hours for the cheese one).
It was exciting to me as a culinary student to try new food and drinks. Some of my favorites were that limes are orange on the inside and have an almost peppery taste, guanabana drink or other fruity drinks iver never had, atole which is a sweet hot drink made from corn, cheese made at Freddo Leche and the strawberries that are grown on the side of the Poás volcano. I was able to see where much of the food products come from by going to the public markets. This is where some people shop for food for their homes. For dinner at home Maria made some food that was similar to some things I eat here in the U.S like cheeseburgers, baked rice with chicken and cheese, and stewed beef with rice. She always had dinner ready for us and was great about having vegetarian food options for Sarah. We spent a special night with everyone at Dona Flora’s making corn tortillas which was awesome and an interesting learning experience. The food all together there was not like what we have here even at fast food restaurants where they serve gallo pinto, beer, and they even have a double big mac. Maybe that’s why everyone was having some stomach issues there and when we got back.
Ana Northrop
LEAF Contributor
ML@FLCC: Costa Rica 2016
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