The national dish of Costa Rica. Gallo pinto served with corn tortillas, fried eggs, tomato and avocado, and sour cream.
The motto of Costa Rica is “pura vida” which translates literally to pure life. But it’s hard to really translate its cultural meaning. It’s like a mindset of valuing life, appreciating the pure and simple things in this world, and adopting an optimistic, carefree spirit. Look on the bright side, appreciate even the little that you have, and life your best life.
And speaking of simple things in life and in food - the staple food of many Central American and Caribbean countries is RICE and BEANS. And Costa Rica has their own national dish that simply and expertly combines these two staples. The name is Gallo Pinto, which translated literally means “spotted rooster.” 🐓 The explanation for this odd name is that it refers to the speckled appearance of the rice.
Gallo pinto can be served for breakfast, lunch, and even dinner. Though I think it’s most typical for breakfast from my experience. For this meal I fried eggs to go with it. The gallo pinto itself is made by frying garlic, onions, and peppers with cooked white rice and black beans. That’s it. Finish it off with the quintessential salsa Lizano or hot sauce of your choice and enjoy.
A note on the salsa lizano - it's a Costa Rican staple condiment. I found it at Compare Foods in Fayetteville. It’s also available on Amazon for a pretty penny if you’re desperate. It’s a vegetable based sauce and has a a nice tangy, vinegary taste. The ticos use it on everything.
You may notice that I also made a fruit smoothie, also from the recipe book. It’s papaya, banana, mango, lime juice and ice. I’m not papayas biggest fan on its own, but it goes well with the bananas and mango. A simple healthy fruit juice.
PURA Vida
Recipe results: We are no strangers to gallo pinto in this house. I've made it plenty of times before. It is filling, tasty, and versatile. I like to make a lot at once and reheat it as a quick meal for busy weekdays. It also goes well added to burritos or tacos.
The combination of peppers, onions, and garlic is what really flavors the gallo pinto. It's honestly fine on its own, but I usually like to add a dash of hot pepper sauce to it. Younes likes his food saucy and I noticed he added a lot of the Lizano. Really, there's no wrong way to spice it up.
I guess the best way to describe gallo pinto is as a simple, flavorful, and filling way to make rice and beans. And it goes with everything. TRY IT.
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