You Are What You Eat, Or You Eat What You Are.
Eating and Food Shopping in Costa Rica
There have been countless shouting matches on Blog sites and Facebook about the cost of things here in Costa Rica – most notably food. So let me throw a little fat on this fire.
Ticos eat for a lot less – Why can’t you?
Granted, I have never developed a taste for plantains, and rice and beans has a bit too many carbs for me to handle in the quantity it would take to satisfy my appetite. So for the most part, I still eat like a Gringo. For that privilege I do pay more. It is not that I insist on ready-to-prepare frozen entrees, or gluten free macrobiotic stuff that costs Way more here. No, I like a more animal protein filled diet; but that’s me. Many expats have totally adapted their diets to Tico style diets. Depending on where they shop and how they buy, the savings can be significant. I do shop for some items at the ferias in Liberia and Santa Cruz, and yes, I do get good quality produce, although none of the markets I’ve shopped at here compare to ones I’ve seen back in the US or Europe in terms of variety. Some Costa Rican farmers grow things organically, without pesticides, or non-GMO, although you will pay more for them. Most grow their stuff the old fashioned way-anyway they can! As for packaged items, you will have to shop at one of the supermakets for all but the basic staples. Pali, Maxi-Pali, Supercompro, are all Tico style supermarkets- complete with a butcher counter and bakery section (although you won’t find much of a deli counter or prepared foods section). Surprisingly prices for produce at these stores are sometimes less than at the local feria and are of equal quality.
In Costa Rica at least, I have not found chickens for sale (not live ones either) at the local ferias, which is probably a good thing. In Nicaragua they are prominently out for display sans any form of refrigeration in crowded unsanitary markets. Most of us would not want to buy a chicken that way let alone eat one. But the locals do, and they live to tell about it. There are specialty pollorias in Liberia and other towns that just sell poultry products from refrigerated cases at prices usually 30% less than larger supermarkets. Do not expect organically fed or non-GMO here. It is what it is.
The local carneceria (butcher shop) can also be an interesting experience. Organ meats are much more prevalent here and most cuts are more the stewing variety. Asking for a Top Sirloin here would get you a lot of blank stares. There are however some specialty meat stores that cater to restaurants as well as the public (Carne San Martin) that specialize in high quality US style or restaurant style cuts of meat – most brought in from Nicaragua. The prices for these are substantially less than for similar cuts in the supermarkets in Costa Rica, but they will require a special trip, purchasing in bulk and some dressing of the meats.
Fish too can be bought at local pescadarias. The closer you are to the ocean, the fresh and more plentiful the selection. Even some ferias have vendors come from the coast to sell camerones, and locally caught fish. You are pretty much forced to buy kilo sized packages (2.2 lbs US), or whole fish. Most markets sell that way, and even frozen the quality is quite good, but you will have to educate yourselves on the different types of fish and how to prepare them.
Most all towns have some sort of Paneceria that sell bread and baked goods such as cakes, and pastries. Most of the bread sold are the long “baguette style” white bread, and are sold and baked fresh daily. Here again prices are lower, but then again, they are pretty cheap to begin with.
Finally there is Automercado and PriceMart. For those of us hopeless stuck in Gringo ways this is our Mecca. Here is where we can find familiar foods and identifiable cuts of meat, pork and poultry wrapped in plastic; or bulk items at PriceMart. Yes, we will pay anywhere from 35% to 100% more, but it is what it is.
As I stated in the heading, you are what you eat and eat what you are. If you want the one stop shopping – go to the supermarkets. If you want the challenge of shopping at the local feria, carneceria, or panerceria you will be rewarded by a much more personal and local food shopping experience. It is The cost savings or non-savings is not all back-or-white. It is all part of adapting to living here.
Ticos eat for a lot less – Why can’t you?
Granted, I have never developed a taste for plantains, and rice and beans has a bit too many carbs for me to handle in the quantity it would take to satisfy my appetite. So for the most part, I still eat like a Gringo. For that privilege I do pay more. It is not that I insist on ready-to-prepare frozen entrees, or gluten free macrobiotic stuff that costs Way more here. No, I like a more animal protein filled diet; but that’s me. Many expats have totally adapted their diets to Tico style diets. Depending on where they shop and how they buy, the savings can be significant. I do shop for some items at the ferias in Liberia and Santa Cruz, and yes, I do get good quality produce, although none of the markets I’ve shopped at here compare to ones I’ve seen back in the US or Europe in terms of variety. Some Costa Rican farmers grow things organically, without pesticides, or non-GMO, although you will pay more for them. Most grow their stuff the old fashioned way-anyway they can! As for packaged items, you will have to shop at one of the supermakets for all but the basic staples. Pali, Maxi-Pali, Supercompro, are all Tico style supermarkets- complete with a butcher counter and bakery section (although you won’t find much of a deli counter or prepared foods section). Surprisingly prices for produce at these stores are sometimes less than at the local feria and are of equal quality.
In Costa Rica at least, I have not found chickens for sale (not live ones either) at the local ferias, which is probably a good thing. In Nicaragua they are prominently out for display sans any form of refrigeration in crowded unsanitary markets. Most of us would not want to buy a chicken that way let alone eat one. But the locals do, and they live to tell about it. There are specialty pollorias in Liberia and other towns that just sell poultry products from refrigerated cases at prices usually 30% less than larger supermarkets. Do not expect organically fed or non-GMO here. It is what it is.
The local carneceria (butcher shop) can also be an interesting experience. Organ meats are much more prevalent here and most cuts are more the stewing variety. Asking for a Top Sirloin here would get you a lot of blank stares. There are however some specialty meat stores that cater to restaurants as well as the public (Carne San Martin) that specialize in high quality US style or restaurant style cuts of meat – most brought in from Nicaragua. The prices for these are substantially less than for similar cuts in the supermarkets in Costa Rica, but they will require a special trip, purchasing in bulk and some dressing of the meats.
Fish too can be bought at local pescadarias. The closer you are to the ocean, the fresh and more plentiful the selection. Even some ferias have vendors come from the coast to sell camerones, and locally caught fish. You are pretty much forced to buy kilo sized packages (2.2 lbs US), or whole fish. Most markets sell that way, and even frozen the quality is quite good, but you will have to educate yourselves on the different types of fish and how to prepare them.
Most all towns have some sort of Paneceria that sell bread and baked goods such as cakes, and pastries. Most of the bread sold are the long “baguette style” white bread, and are sold and baked fresh daily. Here again prices are lower, but then again, they are pretty cheap to begin with.
Finally there is Automercado and PriceMart. For those of us hopeless stuck in Gringo ways this is our Mecca. Here is where we can find familiar foods and identifiable cuts of meat, pork and poultry wrapped in plastic; or bulk items at PriceMart. Yes, we will pay anywhere from 35% to 100% more, but it is what it is.
As I stated in the heading, you are what you eat and eat what you are. If you want the one stop shopping – go to the supermarkets. If you want the challenge of shopping at the local feria, carneceria, or panerceria you will be rewarded by a much more personal and local food shopping experience. It is The cost savings or non-savings is not all back-or-white. It is all part of adapting to living here.