If you want to eat like a tico (native Costa Rican) expect to have a breakfast of eggs, spiced beans and rice, and perhaps a side of plantains. A typical lunch is a casado – a six-part dish: chicken in sauce, beans, rice, fried plantains, salad, and a scoop of mashed potatoes. Dinner along the coast will consist of whatever fish is in season. If you are staying in the central or mountain region of Costa Rica, steak is recommended.
You will also see a variety of American fast food restaurants and the tico version called a Soda, where one can get a quick lunch with local flavor.
Many dinner tables will have a bottle of brown sauce on the table. That popular sauce is Lizano salsa, a slightly sweet with a hint of spiciness with black pepper and cumin. It is used for almost all food types including salads and accompanying meats, eggs, gallo pinto, tamales, and vegetables. Keep in mind if you ask for salsa, you will receive this Lizano salsa. If you want the chopped tomato, onion, and pepper salsa, ask for pico de gallo.
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