“When traveling thou shall try the local food.”
If there’s such a thing as the traveler’s ten commandments this should definitively be listed, for one must indulge in the local flavors to have a complete experience. Here's a list of costarican food you should definitively try when you come to Turrialba:
-
Turrialba cheese
It has got to be the flagship of Turrialbeños gastronomy and kind of a local source of pride. This type of white cheese got its appellation of origin in 2012, which confers the designation of products with the name of their place of production, in this case, with the name of the Turrialba region. By granting this right to the food-producing region, a special value or particular merit is conferred on it.
That is to say that Turrialba cheese can only be made in the Turrialba region -and nowhere else in the world- because of the factors that make it unique such as soil, geography, topography, as well as the historical and cultural specificities of the production methods and transformation of food products.
-
Pejibayes
Perhaps you didn’t know, but the same palm tree where the heart of palm is extracted (Bactris gasipaes) also produces a starchy little fruit that we call “pejibaye” but is translated as “peach palm”. The most typical way to eat them is boiled with a little mayonnaise, but there’s a lot more:
- Pejibaye cream is another big favorite
- Pejibaye ceviche
- Pejibaye salad
If you really want to get into a Pejibaye rush, there’s a yearly fair in Tucurrique where all sorts of crazy and delicious things are made with this crop ranging from ice cream to wine.
-
Cheese tortilla
Tortilla con queso
Corn dough with cheese, it’s simple but delicious!
-
Cheese Chicharron
Chicharron de queso
Although “chicharrones” actually means “pork rind”, this costarican dish is a completely different thing. It’s basically dices of fresh cheese, boiled in sugar cane caramel until. It ends up looking like little pieces of meat, but it’s a completely vegetarian and delicious dessert.
Please note this is not the mexican Chicharron de Queso which is more of a cheese crust tortilla, and it’s salty.
-
Gallos de ternera
In Costa Rica “gallos” refer to anything you put inside of a soft corn tortilla, so think of tacos if you wish. Veal gallos (or tacos, for the sake of argument) are prepared with loin and round, spiced with fresh herbs and spices.
