I’m sorry. I’m not talking about the adult kind of drinks in this post. I suspect they are the same as anywhere else.
But Costa Rica does have some interesting drinks to go with any meal.
One thing that seemed odd at first was the question I often heard “en aqua o en leche?”
I’m not sure I even have the right Spanish words there, but they are asking if you want your drink in water or in milk. It turns out to be a real treat.
You can get just about any fruit drink mixed in milk. It sounds odd at first, but consider how delicious an orange juice/ice cream mix is. That is fairly common in the U.S.
Now think about that combination with mango, pineapple (pina in Spanish), blackberry (mora in Spanish) or strawberry (fresa in Spanish). All are muy deliciouso (hopefully that doesn’t need a translation).
My very favorite though is a fruit that isn’t commonly available in the states. The fruit is called guanabana. It is nicknamed the “ice cream fruit” because both it’s texture and it’s flavor is very reminiscent of vanilla ice cream.
Take it the next step and ask for a guanabana en leche when you visit Costa Rica. It is my very favorite drink.
There is one other fruit here that I like a lot, but it shouldn’t be served in leche. Don’t worry. They won’t even offer it in leche. It is called cass (not sure of the spelling, but that’s how it’s pronounced). It is a yummy fruit juice that can only be described as a mixture of pear and lime without the significant sour of lime. Give it a try.
If you like hot drinks, try agua dulce con leche. It literally means something like sweet water with milk. The sweet though is a very raw form of sugar that has a lot of taste other than sugar. The drink is served hot and is a good substitute for coffee, tea or hot chocolate.
BTW, water is completely safe to drink here. There are no health problems associated with the water. Don’t worry about the above drinks being safe. All drinks are perfectly safe here in Costa Rica. The milk is pasturized just like in the states and the drinking water is generally even cleaner than the United States because they get so much rain and have modern facilities to treat drinking water.
Enjoy your Costa Rican drinks!
-James D. Brausch
12 responses so far ↓
1 Arp // Mar 3, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I REALLY miss guanabana juice! We managed to find some in the US, but I miss the fresh stuff. There’s nothing like it.
2 Eco Interactive // Mar 4, 2008 at 1:19 am
While it is generally true that the water is good to drink, this is not universally true.
For the vast majority of travelers, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. If you happen to find yourself in a very rural area, do not assume the water is as good as you would find elsewhere.
3 Teri // Mar 4, 2008 at 8:45 am
I have some guanabana hanging on a tree outside my house. Amazing just a big fruit hangs from a tree. When I go to the market, there are many fruits and vegetables that are “alien” to me. I have photographed them and plan to learn what each is and how it is prepared.
I doubt the water is good all over CR. My water comes out almost like mud sometimes living here in Hermosa. That can’t be good.
I’d like to feature your blog on my “Blog Share” column. I don’t find here an address to write you so I am asking here. Please let me know.
I enjoy reading your blog and know my readers will too. Teri
4 Arp // Mar 5, 2008 at 2:16 pm
There are so many interesting fruits & veggies there. We ate some mystery fruit one day - no recollection of what it was, but it was tasty.
We also met someone who made wonder what she was doing in CR. She’d been there 14 months, did not know any area outside Escazu/Santa Ana and said she refused to buy any unfamiliar food. I was astounded that someone could live in a country with such a fascinating array of fruits & vegetables yet resolutely avoid them.
5 Mary // Mar 6, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Now these would be my kind of drinks as I do not drink anything alcoholic and I love fruit drinks. I like anything with pineapple or strawberry in it but I’m adventurous so would happily try others to see what they tasted like. Not sure about the hot drink. I love my cup of tea! Some nice information on your Costa Rica HQ blog - have enjoyed reading the posts.
6 Teri // Mar 7, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Nevermind about the “blog share” thingy.
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8 Emily // Mar 10, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I want to go back to Costa Rica so badly. I was there just last year and i miss everything about it so much.
And while it’s true the water is generally good to drink, it may still give you traveller’s diarrhoea (pleasant, i know).
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12 steve // Mar 24, 2008 at 11:31 pm
That agua dulce is actually just sugar cane juice… warmed up and served with or without milk. Not as sweet as you might think. Delicious and full of minerals (not unlike wheatgrass juice, just more delicious). Yummy stuff, especially on cool/rainy day.
For those of you who don’t have a favorite fruit yet- don’t be afraid to mix ‘em up. If you ask for multiple fruits, you’ll usually get more of the first than the second. ie: pina con papaya might be a different concoction than papaya con pina.
The flavor combinations are nearly endless, always healthy, and usually cheaper than a bottled soda pop.
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