Introducing casado

When travelling in Costa Rica, you will notice that every food place has a casado on the menu. That’s because it is the most important, quintessentially Costa Rican, dish. It has rice, black beans, salad or other form of veggies, tortilla, friend plantains, and an optional source of protein (beef, pork, chicken or fish). It is colourful, delicious, fresh, and filling. “Casado” in Spanish means “married”, and there are a few theories about the origins of the name. It could be that those ingredients always come together, are inseparable. Some sources tell stories about the wives of workmen who used to send lunches wrapped in a big banana leaf with all those ingredients together, so you could tell who was married by their lunch. In any case, it is a ubiquitous, traditional meal in Costa Rica. You can find it anywhere, but I like to have it at a soda, which is a small family owned, unpretentious food joint, where momma and papa make it in the corner for the locals. It is fresh, tasty, and economical. ¡Buen provecho!