Shopping For Food

TicoSpeak!
Primera Parte
THE BUDGET STORES

By Guillermo Jiménez
gjimenez@sistematicaconsulting.com

Shopping for what to eat in Costa Rica is easy. There are a variety of establishments that serve the budget of most everybody. That is not to say that food is cheap but there is a good selection at the middle to higher ends and some good prices at the lower end.

Let's examine the lower end first, then the following TicoSpeak! will examine the middle/higher ends.

There are "pulperías" and "mini-supers" for your groceries, "carnicerías" for meat, "verdulerías" for vegetables and fruits, "pescaderías" for fish and seafood, and "panaderías" [bakeries] for your "panes" [breads], "quesos" [cheeses], "jaleas" [jellies], "mermeladas" [marmalade], and dairy products.

These establishments sell by the unit [por unidad] or by the pound or kilo [por libra o en kilos] and stock only the basics of the Tico diet [dieta].

You will find "arroz" [rice], "frijoles" [black/red beans], a number of pasta presentations such as "espaguetti" [spaghetti ], "macarrones" [macaroni], "coditos" [elbow macaroni], "caracolitos" [pasta shells], "lenguita" [lenguinni] and "cabello de angel" [angel hair] for your soups.

The shelves are also packed with "latería" [products in a can] such as "Atún" [tuna], "sardinas" [sardines], "salsa de tomate" [tomato sauce] and "petipoas" [peas]. There are also "condimentos" [spices] and the usual variety of Jacks, Tosty and Pozuelo products for the kids.

The oversized freezer in the corner carries basic dairy products like "leche" [milk], "queso" [cheese] and "embutidos" [cold cuts] such as "mortadela" [bologna] in several presentations and "jugo de naranja" and "jugo de manzana" [oranje and apple juice].

Carnicerías sell beef, pork and chicken only. No strange meats in the regular diet of Costa Ricans. No exotic cuts either. Ticos understand meat in its simplest form. The most usual cut is beef-steak which we pronounce "bistek", then there is "lomo", "lomito" and "vuelta de lomo" of which the latter is best and most expensive.

For soups, read "Olla de Carne" [Meat pot], you can buy "carne para sopa" [literally meat for soup] which is usually "costilla de res" [ribs]. Then there is also "mondogo" [tripe] and "retazos" [quick cuts] that are also used for other types of soups and "sustancias" or "caldos" [broth]. For exotic meat products you need to go to the local "Mercado Central" [Central Market] where you will find things like "lengua" [cow tounge], "huevos de toros" [bull balls <--no kidding], "cesos" [pig's brains] for something called "frito," "pellejo" [skin] used for "chicharrones" [fried pork skin] and "patas de chancho" [pig´s feet] which are famous for christmas.

"Verdulerías" is where you can find your fresh vegetables and fruits. They are usually well stocked with fresh products but in little quantities (hence the every day freshness). Ticos love their "yuca" [yuca], "papas" [potatoes], "chayotes" [squash] <--not me though, "platano verde" or "maduro" [green or ripe plantain] among others plus the basic tropical fruits such as "naranjas" [oranges], "sandía" [water melon], "melón" [melon], and depending on the season, "jocotes", "guavas", "mamones" [liche], etc, etc.

Nowadays this network of efficiently-ran stores are used only to complement the weekly "compras" [grocery shopping]. By the way the word "diario," the name given in Costa Rica to the bulk purchasing of food to stock for the week, is a left over from the days Ticos used to buy their groceries on a daily basis. That was, of course,
before the invention of supermarkets and Farmer's Markets which are used now as the primary source for groceries.

So make your next grocery shopping [haga de su próximo diario] a local experience and skip the Hipermas and the jumbo stores so you have a chance to practice this new vocabulary.


Vocabulary

pulperías
mini-supers
carnicerías
verdulerías
pescaderías
panaderías
panes
quesos
jaleas
mermeladas
por unidad
por libra o en kilos
dieta
arroz
frijoles
espagueti
macarrones
coditos
caracolitos
lenguita
cabello de angel
latería
Atún
sardinas
salsa de tomate
petipoas
condimentos
leche
queso
embutidos
mortadela
jugo de naranja
jugo de manzana
Carnicerías
bistek
lomo
lomito
vuelta de lomo
carne para sopa
costilla de res
mondogo
retazos
sustancias
caldos
Mercado Central
lengua
huevos de toros
cesos
frito
pellejo
chicharrones
patas de chancho
Verdulerías
yuca
papas
chayotes
platano verde
maduro
naranjas
sandía
melón
jocotes
guavas
mamones
compras
diario
haga de su próximo diario
Hipermás