Mia Falbo, Plus3 Costa Rica Summer 2024
Since I lived with a host family, I was able to enjoy home-cooked meals for breakfast and dinner. I never made a meal myself, but the meals my host mother made were outstanding. This also allowed me to taste a variety of Costa Rican meals that I did not even know existed. For example, one of the staples of Costa Rican dishes is gallo pinto, which is a mixture of rice and beans. I also learned that eating meals together is very important, so we had to be on time for all our meals or else we would be disrespecting our host mother.
During the day, my team and I would visit local coffee and fruit plantations to see how they run their business. So, lunch was always eaten at a local restaurant, giving us another chance to try Costa Rican food. This was especially interesting because our travels would take us to other parts of Costa Rica, so some of the dishes would be different at the restaurant than at my homestay. For example, up in the mountains, it is more common to see items to eat or drink that include strawberries. The staples, like gallo pinto, stay the same throughout Costa Rica, but it was interesting to see the different alterations people would make to the foods based on where they lived in Costa Rica.
I think that, especially in places like Costa Rica where food is such a large part of the culture, food is definitely the window to the soul. I do not think I would have felt as immersed in the culture if I had not tried the local dishes that Costa Rica has to offer. I am really glad that I was able to experience both home-cooked meals and meals at restaurants every day.
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