ETHNIC USE

LOCAL GASTRONOMY

Animals and plants constitute an essential element of current and ancient indigenous people’s physical and spiritual life. For example maize, beans, yucca, squash, cocoa, mushrooms and heart of palm are part of the traditional diet of various Costa Rican ancient cultures, among which the Boruca indigenous people. They also eat the leaves, fruits and flowers of not so well-known species as the Panama hat palm tree (Carludovica drudei), zorrillo (Cestrum racemosum), disciplina palm (Chamaedorea spp.), quickstick (Gliricidia sepium) and split-leaved cyclanthus (Cyclanthus bipartitus). Some of these products are still collected in the mountains.

Calabash tree

Crescentia cujete

The calabash tree’s seed is extracted from ripe fruits cut from the tree. These are dried and grinded to prepare a refreshing drink called “horchata“, whose ingredients are: rice, ground calabash tree seeds, water and sugar. Horchata may be added milk, sesame seeds, cinnamon or peanuts, giving it a special flavor.

Achiote or lipstick plant

Bixa orellana

Achiote is a plant employed traditionally and commonly used in local and indigenous gastronomy. It’s used as spice and food coloring. An intense orange pulp is obtained with the achiote fruit’s seeds decoction which may be mixed with lard or grease to prepare different dishes.

Panama hat plam tree

Carludovica palmata

This plant has various traditional uses, among which the edible is important. Leaf buds (called feathers) have a tender part that may be chopped and cooked with other foods (eggs, tomato, salads, etc.); tender fruits may be used similarly.

Chaya or treadsoftly

Cnidoscolus aconitifolius

Chaya is a traditional element of Costa Rican cuisine, mainly in hash (picadillos) or soup. The young leaves are cut, placed in water for several minutes (to extract the sap), chopped and cooked with other foods as potatoes, eggs, or in soups. 

Pejibaye or peach palm

Bactris gasipaes

The fruits of pejibaye and the heart of palm, extracted from the same, constitute one of the most important traditional gastronomic elements, indigenous and modern. The fruit’s pulp may be processed once boiled, or used in many ways; the most used is the pulp or with mayonnaise. It’s now known that pejibaye’s nutritional value is very high.