# The best traditional Costa Rican food

Everyday and festive Tico food: gallo pinto, casado and olla de carne are the big three, according to Wikipedia and Costa Rican food guides.

- 93 votes · 12 items
- May 9, 2025 · Mariano
- https://even.best/en/l/315/the-best-traditional-costa-rican-food

## Top 10

1. **Gallo pinto** (11 · ▲12 ▼1) — Rice and black beans fried with onion, sweet pepper and Salsa Lizano; with eggs, ripe plantain and sour cream.
2. **Casado** (10 · ▲10 ▼0) — Rice, beans, salad, ripe plantain and a meat or fish: the lunch at every soda.
3. **Tico ceviche** (7 · ▲9 ▼2) — Fish in lime with culantro and sweet pepper, with soda crackers.
4. **Arroz con pollo** (7 · ▲7 ▼0) — Yellow rice with chicken, peppers and peas, a party dish.
5. **Arreglado** (7 · ▲7 ▼0) — Bread roll filled with meat, typical of sodas and afternoon snacks.
6. **Tico tamales** (6 · ▲7 ▼1) — Corn dough with pork and vegetables in banana leaf, for Christmas.
7. **Patacones** (6 · ▲6 ▼0) — Fried flattened green plantain, with refried beans or guacamole.
8. **Chifrijo** (5 · ▲6 ▼1) — Rice, beans, pork crackling and pico de gallo in a bowl, invented in a San José bar.
9. **Olla de carne** (5 · ▲5 ▼0) — Beef stew with cassava, chayote, corn, potato and green plantain.
10. **Caribbean rice and beans** (4 · ▲6 ▼2) — Rice and beans cooked in coconut milk, from Limón.
11. **Picadillo de papa** (3 · ▲5 ▼2) — Diced potato with meat and culantro, to eat in a tortilla.
12. **Sopa de mondongo** (2 · ▲3 ▼1) — Beef tripe soup with vegetables.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.