Week three: Costa Rican Food Culture

This is week three of the blog and we are diving into more personal perceptions of the foods that people eat and their cultural attachments. All of the responses to theses questions were given to me by my Tica sister, Nikki, who is 17 (16, but 17 in 2 days) I did my best with the translations and below are the results:

-What are some things that Costa Ricans find "weird" of others' eating practices and foods?  Are there any things that will absolutely not be eaten in Costa Rica or that are taboo?


In response to this, my sister said that the one thing most Costa Ricans will not do, is eat foods (mainly meats) that are not cooked. Even if it is a steak or beef, they prefer to eat their meats properly cooked. According to my sister people in Costa Rica are free to eat just about anything they want, but people will not eat many animals because they are just strange. She cited monkeys and bull meat for example. I also briefly mentioned something like this to my host mother in sushi and she automatically cringed at the thought of eating raw seafood.

-What does food "say" about a person?  For instance, if someone is a bit overweight does it mean anything socially?  How about if someone is very, very skinny?


In response to this, my sister replied that you look like what you eat. People who eat healthier foods including fruits, vegetables, meats and other food groups in appropriate portions look better and healthier than people who do not eat as well. She did say however that in Costa Rica there is a correlation between socio-economic status and the food people eat. People who do not have as much money or even education would buy cheaper foods which they can afford, but these may not be as healthy as more expensive options. In terms of image however, Nikki did explain to me that there is the image of people who are thin as beautiful. She says that images like that are everywhere, from television ads, pictures of models in magazines and even in Tico shows such as Combate.

Food Analysis:

 The three pictures from left to right are food advertisements for water, tortillas, and fresh vegetables and produce. These pictures paint a picture of pretty basic meal featuring the tortilla as a staple, with vegetables for nutrients and water as necessity. These images all portray Costa Rican food as beneficial to health and positive to earth. In the picture with the Water bottle, there is a picture of a woman with an athletic build which symbolizes health. The ad for tortillas has what look like healthy balanced meals, each with lots of vegetables and an equal amount of meat. The final ad was found in the vegetable section of Mas por Menos and the caption on the ad reads "De Nuestra tierra Para su familia". This practically translates to from our planet for your family meaning that the vegetables are fresh and health to be eaten. It also presses that the earth is healthy and that eating vegetables are a good family choice (which it is...bias).

These food ads are similar to those in the United States in that recently, the health value of foods in US groceries have recently taken premise among ads. This is due to high levels of diabetes in the US and other health problems associated with diet. As such healthy foods are advertised more and similar to a lot of the world, the groceries and food stores here in Costa Rica advertise with some food ads, like the ones above, their health values and benefits.