Costa Rica's Culinary Renaissance: Putting a Modern Twist on Tradition

For decades, American travelers who arrived in Costa Rica would be greeted with the warmest form of hospitality: their own culinary classics, whether that was burgers and fries or pepperoni pizza. 

“We thought that we should feed travelers what they eat at home,” explains Federico Solano, marketing manager for Horizontes Nature Tours, who works closely with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions on the Central American expeditions. “We were trying to copy things that tourists were used to eating, putting aside the fun and the flavors that we have here in our own country.”

Costa Rica’s local flavors, it turns out, are both plentiful and powerful. Despite the country’s small size—at less than 20,000 square miles, it’s slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia—it has incredible biodiversity and a wide variety of ingredients close at hand thanks to its many distinct microclimates, year-round growing potential, and proximity to the sea.

From the cattle and corn of the North Pacific region to the snapper and mahi-mahi fished from the Caribbean to the guanabana and mangoes piled high at farm stands around the country, the culinary bounty found across this tiny nation is unmatched for freshness and quality.  Plus, all those home-grown items may even bring long-lasting benefits: The Nicoya Peninsula, on the Pacific Coast, is one of only a handful of worldwide “Blue Zones,” regions that are home to an unusual number of centenarians.

Costa Rica’s Gastronomic Renaissance

In the past couple decades, Costa Rica has undergone something of a culinary revolution, as young chefs are rediscovering and highlighting ingredients and dishes that had fallen by the wayside. Heirloom produce varieties and centuries-old culinary traditions, once disregarded as old-fashioned and humble, are being elevated on the world stage and served up to visitors and locals alike. 

“People are paying attention to dishes, flavors, and ingredients that we tasted with our grandmas but never learned how to prepare, or that we didn’t think were fancy enough to include in our diets,” explains Solano. “Now a lot of chefs are making these things and giving a new personality to our gastronomy—but a personality with meaning, because these are things we used to grow and taste in the past.”

So far, Costa Rica’s global gastronomic reputation has yet to catch up with the country’s culinary revolution. But National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions is aiming to remedy that, according to Ana Esteves, VP of Hotel Operations, who oversees the culinary programming. “Traditionally, Costa Rica isn’t known as a culinary mecca, so there’s a little bit to uncover for the guests about how special it really is,” says Esteves. “It’s very much home-style, and very unassuming, but once you dig a bit deeper you understand these little nuances.”

Costa Rican Cuisine On Board

To develop the culinary program for Costa Rica, Esteves and her team turned to the same source of inspiration and knowledge as many of the country’s hotshot young chefs: community elders. On a research trip to Guanacaste, they tapped a local culinary dynamo to serve as a consultant and guide.

“It’s exciting even to see how she chops and puts things in the pot,” says Esteves, “And the stories, the smells, the spices—it’s just really special. You understand that it goes back to simplicity, the traditional flavors, where the ingredients are coming from and how fresh they are. That’s what we’ve been trying to do with the culinary program: Let’s get back to basics, right.”

For National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, the most foundational part of getting back to basics—while nodding to the culinary revolution afoot in Costa Rica—is impeccable sourcing. Take the fish served on board: It’s purchased through a local fishing co-op, MarViva, which vets for sustainability and quality. “We know what species, how it was caught, where, by whom. We get beautiful fish, and it comes to the ship fresh,” Esteves explains. The coffee served on ship comes from local growers and roasters, as does the produce, including heirloom ingredients like pujagua corn. 

With onboard cuisine so deeply rooted in place, meals become more than just nourishment: They’re an opportunity for storytelling and for travelers to connect more deeply with the place, its people, and the culture they’ve created.

Ahead, here’s a quick primer on a few of the classically Costa Rican dishes and ingredients you’re likely to encounter while on a Costa Rican adventure with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions.

Ceviche

Costa Rican ceviche may not be as globally well known as Peruvian ceviche or Mexican aguachile, but the country’s abundant fresh fish make it a standout. While a ceviche in Peru might be mixed tableside, Costa Rican styles typically undergo lengthy marination in lime juice, or even a quick hot-water blanch, before stirring in onion, cilantro, bell pepper, and tomato.

Chorreadas

This savory pancake is made with white or yellow corn, and it commonly appears on Costa Rican tables at breakfast. “I like it because it’s simple but it’s delicious,” says Esteves. “You can put honey or maple syrup on it, or we usually use cane sugar syrup from the little fincas and haciendas we go to. That was a new addition to the program that we hadn’t had on our radar—instead of pancakes, let’s serve Costa Rican chorreadas.”

Gallo Pinto

At face value, it may not look like much: gallo pinto is a simple rice-and-beans dish with cilantro and peppers, often served as a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast. But this dish is classic Costa Rica on a plate, and that’s thanks in part to one key, quintessentially Costa Rican ingredient: Salsa Lizano, a tangy Worcestershire-esque brown sauce with a hit of sweetness and spice that’s as ubiquitous in Costa Rica as Heinz ketchup is in America.

Rondón

This seafood stew, originally a Jamaican dish, speaks to the strong Caribbean influence in Costa Rica. It’s typically made in a clay pot with a coconut milk base, and can include a hodgepodge of ingredients depending on the region—the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions version features Blue Zone vegetables, such as yams, and is served with a drizzle of fresh lime juice and a palate-cleansing side of rice.

Pejibaye

This starchy peach palm fruit, a Costa Rican signature, has a nutty flavor and shows up in endless preparations across the country, though the simplest option, sometimes seen at snack stands, is to eat the boiled, salted fruit with a dollop of mayo. “You can have it crispy, you can have it in a ceviche, in a salad, stewed—it’s kind of nuanced,” says Esteves. “Even being from Latin America, I’d never come across it before, and I loved it because it’s so different and has an array of possibilities.”

Tamales

This dish has roots in Latin America that date back thousands of years—and abundant variations from place to place. The Costa Rican version is made with yellow or blue corn and a filling of meat, fish, or vegetables, all wrapped up in a large plantain leaf and often served with a slug or two of Lizano sauce. Tamales are a traditional Christmas dish in Costa Rica, but National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions travelers will likely get a taste no matter the time of year, prepared and brought on board by locals in a nearby community. “Putting that local community in front of guests, I think that’s more powerful than us trying to tell a story that’s not ours,” Esteves explains. “For me, paying tribute to that culture is the most meaningful part of the voyage.”