So 21 years ago, I made the decision to come to Costa Rica, explore the country and the Pacific coast, and to see what the future might bring. Never did I imagine that it would include a beautiful wife, two amazing daughters, and a rewarding real estate company and career all set from within the lush rainforests of Manuel Antonio. Today, as I sit in the Lisbon airport during a 3-week tour of Europe with my family, I find myself reflecting on how each nation's cultures, history, and beauty affect lifestyle and how these sometimes overlooked, yet CORE elements of a society, affect the very essence of what it is like to live and become a part of a new community. While I am not going to bore you with a nation-by-nation opinion piece on each European country, what I loved, how, in my opinion, it affects the lifestyle, but there have been some very real ongoing points which have stood out as I travel with my kids, and got me thinking of how it translates to the magic of Costa Rica.
FOOD. European culture is centered around food (perhaps all cultures are), but the interaction of food, community, and lifestyle in Europe seems to be as acute as any place in the world. What most strikes me is that in the large cities, the lack of space (no big Viking fridges, no walk-in pantries, most of the populace living in small apartments where every centimeter is maximized (insert visual of me trying to do laundry in a machine under the stove in the kitchen, while cooking comfort food for my kids who couldn’t eat another tapa). I think that, in large part, this lack of space helps create a culture where people purchase their food to prepare each day, rather than stockpile (sorry Costco), and also thrive on eating and sharing in public spaces at their local pub, tapas bar, rotisserie, brasserie, etc. Other than work, food, and spirits are places to be out of these smaller living quarters and connect with neighbors. Shopping, in the fresh markets, is about what you want TODAY and NOW, rather than a suburban van full of the next two weeks of cereal, chips, processed foods, etc.
As I dragged my family to eatery after eatery, pushing the taste buds to and beyond their limits, bakeries to the point of exploding, I began to think about how food affects our lifestyle, culture, and social interactions both as locals and tourists alike. I'll be the first to state that Costa Rica is not traditionally thought of as a rich gastronomic destination. While I am a self-professed addict to Gallo Pinto, Arroz con Pollo, and handmade tortillas, the rapidly developing foodie scene all over Costa Rica is admittedly a “new” phenomenon. So, putting that growing hip gastro scene aside, I began to think about how food historically has been a part of Costa Rican culture, the mentality of its people, and why that helps to make the people and lifestyle here so hypnotic and attractive. The answer for me is somewhat ironic and “SIMPLE”.. That's right, simple and fresh. No extravagant French techniques, no 57 recipe-rich sauces. What does my family long for and love to eat... what do my wife, parents, and grandparents eat with nostalgia and love, what are those comfort foods that speak to the heart of Costa Ricans, at least in large parts of their once rural coastal areas? FRESH AND SIMPLE foods, procured from the insanely lush and rich tropical forests, rich farmlands. How can white rice, black beans, simple fish, chicken, steak, or the amazing pork here, with a side of plantains, evoke such pleasure and love from locals and tourists alike? The answer again is SIMPLE. In an ever more complex world, where most Americans are eating processed, packaged food shipped from around the globe, restaurants are fighting to offer the newest gluten-free, antioxidant-infused, couscous and wheatgrass-infused miracle. Costa Rica, at its core, has a food culture centered and born from eating local, fresh ingredients that Mother Nature and man's hard work produce and then consume from necessity. Mangos during Mango Season, Watermelon during dry seasons, Mahi Mahi when the bite is on, Pig around December...Why do so many Americans and people from around the world fall in love with Costa Rica? Sure, its natural beauty is some of the most intoxicating on the planet. But beyond that, and one of the reasons I stayed and even here in the Lisbon airport can’t wait to get home after the trip, is the simple, happy, peaceful life..stripped of much of the makeup, trimmings, commercialism, and fads..Just you, a good pair of shorts and flip flops, whatever is in season, and some very happy people. That iconic Casado Dish, the staple of the Costa Rica menu, kind of sums up the country and its culture. Well-rounded, fresh, simple, healthy, and happy.
Off to board a flight...and stuff down a few more plates of the best of Europe's food culture.. no complaints, but glad to know that a fresh casado and handmade tortilla are waiting for me at La Gaucima restaurant on the road home in a few days. Might sound a bit unsophisticated... but I think that is exactly why I love it so much, as the more I travel, the more I find a lot of miserable sophisticated people