Gallo Pinto: The Typical Costa Rican Breakfast
(Introduction by Liz) Today we’re very pleased to introduce the newest member of the PocketCultures team, Nuria Villalobos from Costa Rica. Read her first post for PocketCultures here below.
Costa Rica is synonym of peace, happiness, nature and great food. The most typical dish for breakfast is called “Gallo Pinto”, literally translated ‘Spotted Rooster’. Its name doesn’t have anything to do with its ingredients though since they are basically white rice and black beans. Yes, you heard right: rice and beans for breakfast!
This national dish can be made in different ways but it is usually prepared with onions, red peppers, cilantro and the not-to-be-missed ingredient: Lizano Sauce. This 100% Costa Rican sauce was produced by the company Lizano in 1920 and although its recipe is secret, it is known to contain onion, carrot, cauliflower and cucumber. This sauce is neither sweet nor sour and it has a strong smell to spices. It is very tasty and therefore used in many Costa Rican dishes.
The gallo pinto has its origins in the Caribbean islands where the rice and beans combination was spread. This dish came along with the arrival of the African American workers coming from Jamaica to the province of Limón, Costa Rica. Its current name was not giving to it until workers from the Central Valley went to Limón to help build the railroad and therefore tasted this food. As a result, in the 1930’s the gallo pinto became popular in the rest of the country.
Although in different versions, this dish is also eaten in Nicaragua and other countries such as Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. In Costa Rica, the gallo pinto, known as rice and beans in Limón and prepared with coconut oil, can be accompanied with eggs, cheese, corn tortillas, sour cream and fried ripe plantains.
Make sure you get a taste of Costa Rica in your next visit by trying the famous gallo pinto!
Read More:
Everything you need to know about Argentinean empanadas!
Ceviche: the taste of summer in Lima
Feijoada in Brazil
at 2:13 pm
wooow!! I definitely have to try this breakfast! I hope I can try it some day in Costa Rica
Cuídate hermanita!!
at 5:24 pm
You have to Manolito!
You’ll love it! You know I’m always waiting to welcome you here in Costa Rica. Un abrazo bro!!
at 7:25 am
Yum! This looks like the ideal breakfast for me. I wonder if I can find Lizano sauce in New Zealand:-)
at 7:56 am
Cool! Oh, I can send you some Lizano Sauce all the way from Costa Rica to New Zealand if you want to
Just let me know!
at 1:04 pm
Will you be drinking masala chai with it Marie? (yes I have been reading your blog!)
at 5:24 am
Nuria, maybe we can do some sort of exchange. I’ll have to think of something you’d like from NZ and we can do some international trading:-)
Liz, that sounds like a fantastic combination of food and culture! Thank you for reading:-)
at 7:20 am
I’d love to! Maybe something really typical from NZ?
jijiji
at 11:29 am
good article.
Bathmate
at 3:11 pm
Thank you very much!
at 5:22 pm
wooooow!
i wanna go there
at 10:43 pm
You’re welcome anytime!
at 6:48 pm
Greatjob Nurita!
at 5:45 pm
Thank you Mami Ingrid!
at 8:29 pm
you guys shouold eat pancakes and frenchtoast!!:))
at 1:19 am
?????
at 12:37 am
I am doing a Spanish project and i was wondering what time the people in Costa Rica, preferably San Jose, eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner..?
at 7:04 pm
Hi there! We Costa Ricans eat lunch at around noon. Breakfast varies because it depends on when people start working. I would say most people have breakfast between 6 and 7, if they start working at 8. In San José it’s probably like that. In the countryside people wake up earlier, so the time for breakfast would change. Dinner is around 7 p.m.
at 9:30 pm
Hey hbauman! I am doing a spanish project and need that info too! Thanks for asking so that I can read the answer!
at 2:44 am
I met and fell in love with a beautiful Tica here in Philly. Rice and beans for breakfast was a little odd at first, but it does start a day off with a full stomach. Now, if I can get her to eat pancakes, lol. Maravillosa people, truly. Wish there were more like them here.
at 6:36 am
Thanks for your words, Recon!