Week 2!

1) What foods are "native" to Costa Rica?

2) What are some customs related to food in Costa Rica?  For instance, do people sit down as a family to eat at every meal?  Is the mid-day meal larger than the dinner meal? Are all the dishes of food set on the plate and everyone serves themselves or are individual plates served in the kitchen and served? etc.

The answers that my parents gave were very similar to the descriptions of the typical foods of Costa Rica. A few of the foods that they mentioned were picadillo de chayote, olla de carne, arroz con pollo, guanabana, banano, yuca, ayote and camote. They only described a few customs, stating that lunch is typically a larger meal than dinner and that many people eat with their whole family on the weekends. My parents emphasized that many of the traditions are being lost as people work different hours and that the family structure is changing.

The descriptions of the family structure struck a chord with me because I believe that many American families in the United States have experienced the same events. As more moms work and more people work different hours, mealtimes are no longer a time for the family to be together. I am assuming that as the Costa Rican culture changes to adapt to the demands of the world, they are losing part of their traditions. In our discussion, I have heard the sorrow in my parent's voices when they discuss the fact that families are changing. It appears that they are mourning the loss of family time together and unsure about how they feel about the changes. I feel very blessed to eat my meals with my family in Costa Rica and in the United States. The tradition is still a part of both households and I am grateful for the time that we are able to spend together. The discussions that I have had with my family also relate to the readings in the fact that the native and common foods generally originate from New World foods. The readings discuss the foods that were originally found in the America's and many of the typical dishes have these ingredients. The questions also led me to think about the "native" foods in the United States and how the food culture is dramatically different. 

 Breakfast! I have a bowl of fruit, 2 pieces of toast and orange juice every morning!

Dinner tonight was picadillo de chayote con carne with rice, beans, tortillas and blackberry juice.