Puntarenas, a province located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, is famous for its pristine beaches, magnificent sunsets, and delicious food. From the colorful promenade that runs alongside the sea to the small restaurants hidden in the streets, the smell of typical dishes permeates the air, inviting locals and tourists to enjoy the flavors of the region.
Vigorones, a traditional dish in Puntarenas, is a must-try for anyone who visits this coastal province. It is a tasty mix of yucca, pork rinds, meat, and chopped cabbage, dressed with a delicious chimichurri sauce, all served on almond leaves. The aroma of the dish attracts visitors from afar, and the combination of flavors leaves a lasting impression on their taste buds.
Ceviche, a seafood dish that originated in South America, is another staple in Puntarenas cuisine. The locals use fresh fish, chucheca, or plantain, chopped into small pieces and mixed with lemon juice, onion, sweet chili, cilantro, and salt. The result is a tangy and refreshing dish that is perfect for a hot day at the beach.
Escabeche, a dish that combines vegetables such as chayote, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, and broccoli, is another popular choice. The vegetables are cooked with butter, water, onion, bay leaf, and cloves until they are lukewarm. Then, vinegar is added to the mixture, and it is covered to infuse the flavors. The dish can be served as a side or as a main course with rice.
For seafood lovers, grilled lobster is a delicacy that cannot be missed. The lobster is first boiled to remove any microorganisms, then seasoned to taste and grilled until it turns a pale red color. It is usually served with rice, salad, and a slice of lime to enhance the flavor.
Rice with squid or shrimp is a typical dish that highlights the region’s abundant seafood. The squid or shrimp is cooked and mixed with a tomato-based sauce and served on a bed of rice. The dish is simple yet delicious, and the freshness of the seafood adds an extra dimension to the flavor.
Soups are also a favorite in Puntarenas, with shrimp, shellfish, and meat pot soup being among the most popular. These soups are cooked with fresh ingredients and spices, giving them a unique flavor that is hard to replicate.
After a hearty meal, locals and visitors alike enjoy traditional drinks such as tamarindo, pipe water, horchata, and granitas. Tamarindo is a refreshing drink made from the fruit of the tamarind tree, while pipe water is a drink made from sugar cane juice. Horchata, a drink made from peanuts and rice, is sweet and creamy, while granitas, a type of ice cream made with shaved ice and syrups, are perfect for cooling down on a hot day.
Puntarenas is a paradise for foodies. With its abundance of fresh seafood and local produce, visitors are guaranteed a culinary adventure that will leave them craving for more. So the next time you visit this beautiful province, make sure to indulge in the flavors that make Puntarenas a food lover’s paradise.
Typical Food List
Ceviche: consists of chopping the fish, chucheca or plantain into small pieces (except the shrimp that is left whole) and then adding a lot of lemon juice, onion, sweet chili, cilantro and salt to taste.
Guacho rice: it is like making rice only that more water is added to it, so that it is like a soup. It can be made from local seafood, pork, chicken.
Patacón: it is a cake made of banana which is put to fry.
Vigorones: You can find them all along the tourist promenade, it is prepared with chopped cabbage, added yucca, shell pork rinds and meat, dressed with a delicious chimichurri (chopped tomato, with sauces and vinegar). All served on one or two almond leaves; they will make your mouth water.
Churchil: it is prepared the same as the granita, only one or more scoops of ice cream are added to taste. It receives its name thanks to a character from Buenos Aires who, every time he arrived at one of the kiosks on the tourist promenade (close to the pier), requested the ice cream with ice cream; Said character was very similar to the ex-British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, for which reason said dessert was baptized that way. Today it has evolved and continues to be tasted by a large number of visitors to our province.”
Escabeche: vegetables such as chayote, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli and some flavorings and seasonings such as onion, bay leaf and cloves are sweated in a pan with butter and a little water. Then it is left to cool, when the vegetables are lukewarm, add vinegar and cover.
Grilled Lobster: Lobster should first be placed in boiling water to kill any microorganisms that have not been washed away, then seasoned to taste and placed on the grill not too long until it reaches a color similar to pale red.
Rice with squid: the squid is peeled, washed and then cut into fine pieces. While they are cooking, the sauce is prepared with tomatoes and smells. Once everything is cooked, mix the squid with the sauce and mix everything with the already prepared rice.
Rice with shrimp: it has the same procedure as rice with squid.
Soups: shrimp, shellfish and even the famous meat pot, which, although it is not made with shellfish, is a representative dish of the province.
Salpicón: the tuna is cooked with smells. When the meat is soft, it is dried and shredded, apart from that a sauce is made with well-chopped tomatoes, seasonings and aromas, which is brought to a simmer. Finally, the sauce is sprinkled over the shredded tuna meat.
Resbaladera: made with blended rice accompanied by cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar to taste, ice and milk.
Tamarindo: it is a very customary drink in Puntarenas.
Pipe water: preferred drink to quench thirst and hydrate.
Horchata: it is a drink that is made with peanuts and liquefied rice, milk, cocoa and sugar.
Granizados: ice cream made with shaved ice, sweetened with any type of syrup, accompanied by powdered milk and condensed milk.