Although there is a great variety of Latin American restaurants in Singapore, Costa Rican gastronomy is unknown despite its culinary wealth – thanks to the fact that 5% of the planet’s biodiversity is concentrated in the Central American country.
People in Singapore can get to taste a little of Costa Rica’s food and culture from December 1 to 29, when The Dempsey Project unfurls The Great Spice Potluck: Costa Rica Edition. On every Wednesday next month, from 5.30pm to 10.30pm, selected dishes will be available at the Dempsey Hill restaurant.
“Between The Project Dempsey team, who know the local taste well and are very open to experiencing new gastronomy, Costa Rican Chef Cindy Castro, who has provided a unique flavour, and the Costa Rican embassy, which wanted to contribute to the best representation of the country’s food, we selected a menu that offers an exquisite variety of dishes for all tastes and lifestyles, vegetarians and various meats to delight everyone,” said Costa Rica’s Ambassador to Singapore Víctor Hugo Rojas González.
“Taste and healthy food are very important to Singaporeans, and our cuisine combines these two elements. Costa Rica belongs to the exclusive circle of Blue Zones in the world, where people live longer and suffer far fewer chronic diseases. That’s thanks to our lifestyle and what we eat.”
Costa Rica, one of th healthiest enclaves in the world, is located exactly in the middle of the American continent, a meeting and exchange point between the north and the south. It is a continental land between two oceans, the Atlantic with its Caribbean Sea and the Pacific, a hinge between the east and the west.
Its food reflects a lot of its natural wealth and multiculturalism. Rice and beans are the staple, with a tropical touch and high quality ingredients.
Costa Rican food differs from other preprations in the region in the way it is cooked and the choice of ingredients. Costa Rica is a pioneer in the concern and responsibility towards the environment. Its people and government make the best efforts to always seek harmony with nature.
Costa Rican meals are typically informal which are meant to be enjoyed with friends or family in a very relaxed way. Usually yucca or plantain chips and tortillas accompany the different sauces and “picadillos”.
The cuisine is suffused with pineapple, coconut and plantains – every bite tastes like holiday fare!
During the whole of December, Singapore residents can hog on Costa Rican favourites, ranging from Bocas, Patacon Horneado, Gallina Mechada and Coco Rice to the traditional Gallos and Casado.
“I especially recommend the “tortillas aliñadas” corn tortillas infused with cheese – to accompany the pulled chicken,” said Ambassador González. “Everyone’s going to love it!”
The dishes are usually accompanied by natural soft drinks. “But we also like to enjoy a cold beer on warm nights,” said Ambassador González. “For the after, we cannot miss a good rum.”
Pura Vida!
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