Mis Comidas Favoritas en Costa Rica

So after being in Costa Rica for eight weeks I've found those foods that I like and dislike. I've been able to try a lot of new foods here, and most of them are my favorites here.  I'm looking forward to cooking with my tica mom and learning how to prepare them myself.  Anyways here is my list of my favorite foods.

Cas: So I've mentioned cas briefly in my previous blog posts, but I couldn't have left it off my favorite food blog post. I never get cas juice at my tica house, so whenever I go out to restaurants and cas is an option, it's always my choice.  It's a tropical fruit, which unfortunately can't be found in Minnesota or Iowa.  It's green, delicious and has a bit of acidic/citrus flavor. I read that it is typically used for juice, jellies or pie filling. I've yet to find cas pie or pastries, but I'm looking forward to when I do.

Gallo Pinto: This is a staple dish of Costa Rica and other Latin American countries. It's rice and beans but better. It's typically served with diced onions and cilantro--well at least that's how it's prepared in Costa Rica.  It's great and I wish my tica mom made it once in awhile for us. For some reason she never prepares it for my roommates and me.  The name of the dish completely depends on the country that you're in, and sometimes it even differs by region. In Costa Rica it's referred to as Gallo Pinto by most people. Along Costa Rica's Caribbean coast though, it's called rice and beans, and it's actually prepared with chocolate.

POPS Ice-cream: In Costa Rica, there is the most amazing ice-cream chain--it's called POPS.  POPS stores are littered across Costa Rica.  I think it even has locations in other Latin American countries. In my opinion it's better than Coldstone or Ben and Jerry's.  I'm not quite sure why I like it so much.  It's really rich and they have tons of flavors. Cas, pineapple, chocolate, mint etc. My personal favorite is Chocolate-Almond.

My tica mom's Spaghetti: I love spaghetti, especially my real mom's spaghetti.  It's the perfect balance between meaty and saucy, and really I don't enjoy it anywhere else.  I have to be perfectly honest though, and say I really enjoy my tica mom's spaghetti too--it's definitely up there with the best spaghetti I've ever had. It's very different, so I can't compare it to the spaghetti I've had in the States. The sauce is more like a soup consistency, and it's cooked with lots of vegetables and fresh tomatoes--it's amazing, especially with cheesy garlic bread. 

Mora: Mora is the Spanish word for Blackberry.  I've become mora obsessed recently.  Mora jam, mora juice, pastries filled with mora, along with anything else I can get my hands on containing mora.  I've tried blackberries before coming here and I can't say that they have tasted this good.  Actually it's pretty common for fruits to taste a bit different in Costa Rica than in Minnesota. I'm definitely going to keep my eyes open for blackberries this summer so I can make mora juice.

Arroz con Pollo: Rice and chicken--yum. It's a common dish in Costa Rica. It's rice, chicken and chopped up vegetables. I've had it other places, and it doesn't compare to my tica mom's--she is such a good cook. The first time I had it, there was ketchup out on the table, and I had no idea why I would have needed ketchup for that meal--I thought it was just out on accident.  My tico brother had a plate of arroz con pollo and put ketchup all over it. I tried it and it was delicious, totally adds to the flavor!

Tres Leches: Where to begin with Tres Leches. It beats POPS and my Grandma's apple pie (it's hard to beat, trust me), for the title of favorite dessert.  It's a cake made with three different milks, hence the name tres leches (three milks). Sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream. It's by no means healthy, it's just rich and wonderful.  The cake is soaked in these milks, leaving it with a wet texture, but not so wet it's soggy.  There is also a whipped cream frosting.

Yuca: Potatoes are the closest thing I can compare yuca to.  It's starchy and the inside of a yuca looks like a potato.  I've had it prepared, where the yuca is mashed up and spread out on a baking sheet. Then vegetables are added, and cheese put on top and baked. It's great, and tastes like something I would have in Minnesota--it's a hot and homey kind of dish. I love it!

¡Pura Vida!