One huge cultural difference I have noticed between The US and Costa Rica is the food. The first day I arrived in Costa Rica, I was inundated with countless unfamiliar fruits and vegetables at the market. We tried many and they were all delicious, but certainly not anything I was used to. After moving in with my host family, the unfamiliar foods continued to appear on my plate. But there is one thing that never seems to change: rice and beans. I feel like I have eaten more rice and beans this week than I have in the entire span of my life! For breakfast I eat gallo pinto (rice and beans), for lunch casado (rice and beans with chicken), and for dinner usually chicken or fish with none other than rice and beans.
I think I have eaten rice with every meal this week wether at the hotel, at a restaurant, or in my host home. It has become a running joke among our group that we will have serious rice withdrawals when we get back home. It's just a little strange to us that pasta, rice, and potatoes can all be served on the same plate, because it is different from what we are used to, but different isn't necessarily good or bad... it's just different.
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| A typical casado |
I can honestly say that I have liked everything I have eaten here (which is kind of surprising because I'm a little picky), but at the same time I do miss ranch dressing (nobody uses dressing on salads here) and pizza.
Coffee is also a huge staple in Costa Rica as it is the main export. Many different types of coffee are grown in CR: all different roasts and even types unique to the country. I am not much of a coffee drinker at home, but with as little time as we have to sleep and as much coffee as I am offered throughout the day, it is nearly impossible to avoid. My host family has assured me that the coffee here is better than any coffee in the states! Our group actually had the opportunity to briefly visit a coffee farm where we learned that coffee is grown on steep drop offs to prevent erosion. The roots of the coffee plant hold dirt to prevent landslides during the rainy season.
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| The roots of coffee plants prevent erosion |
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