Dish of Importance

The word Casado translates into the English meaning married. Costa Ricans use this word for this traditional meal because the dish marries all of the country's favorite foods including, rice, beans, proteins, veggies, and fruits; all of which can be sourced by local agriculture. This meal is typically offered at lunch time at local Sodas, which are small family owned restaurants. This dish was invented to feed the countries physical laborers and give them a hardy meal to fuel them through the long day. The price for this meal is typically $4-5 to make if affordable for the working class citizens³.

“It’s a celebration of Costa Rican color, flavor, and texture – and of tradition. And of deliciousness.”

Flan can be traced back to the Roman empire where it was originally made from a mixture of cream and eggs, then paired with a savory meat. The popular sweet version of this dish was not introduced until the Spanish incorporated the caramelized sugar into their recipes. The dish came over to Costa Rica with the Spanish immigrants, that today make up a majority of the population². Costa Ricans put their own spin on the dish by introducing a chocolate and coconut version of this dessert¹. This is because chocolate and coconuts make up a notable portion of Costa Rica's agriculture, making them common ingredients in many cultural dishes.