Casado is the most popular dish in Costa Rica, consisting of white rice, beans, meat such as pork, chicken, or beef, and a salad such as iceberg or coleslaw. Additional side dishes may include avocado slices, French fries, cheese tortillas, fried plantains, and potato-based stews.

The name casados translates to married, and it is clearly visible on the plate as all of the ingredients provide a nice balance of protein and carbohydrates, making it a nutritionally valuable dish as well as a tasty one. According to a popular legend, the dish was usually eaten by newlyweds, and as the two would not know the other one's preferences in food, a variety of ingredients would be served on one plate in order to find out the favorites of each newlywed. 

Flan de coco or coconut flan is a delicate dessert that is popular in Colombia, Costa Rica, and parts of the Caribbean. It is typically made with eggs, coconut milk, condensed milk, cream, vanilla extract, and flaked coconut. The dessert is usually baked in small ramekins with caramel on the inside, so when flan de coco is inverted, it has a nice caramel layer on top and on the sides.

Before serving, the dessert is often topped with flaked coconut.

Cachapa, chorreada, arepa de choclo, güirila, toquera, tortilla de choclo, and tortilla changa, are all names that describe a Latin American corn dish that can be categorized as either a pancake, tortilla, or flatbread, depending on the country.

It can be made only of corn or have additional ingredients like sugar, water, milk, salt, butter, cheese, and oil. They are typically prepared by street vendors and are either fried or griddled (in Nicaragua, they’re cooked between two banana leaves!) and characterized by a sweet-savory flavor. 

Gallo pinto, sometimes referred to only as pinto, is the traditional national dish of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Although many variations of the dish exist, at its most basic it is a blend of cooked and fried rice and beans, combined with herbs and vegetables such as cilantro, peppers, celery, and onions.

The name of the dish means spotted rooster, referring to the fact that the combination of beans and rice results in a spotted, speckled visual appearance. It is typically served as a side dish, either for breakfast (alongside eggs or meat), lunch or dinner, and sometimes with all three meals of the day. 

Chifrijo is a unique Costa Rican dish made by layering the following components in a bowl: white rice, beans cooked in spices, chicharrón pork pieces, pico de gallo, and tortilla chips, which can also be served on the side. The name of the dish is a composite of chicharrón and frijo (from frijol, meaning beans).

Chifrijo was invented in the 1990s by a San José bar owner named Miguel Ángel Cordero Araya, and the dish is still a staple of bar food in Costa Rica.

Rosquillas are traditional Spanish deep-fried donuts, characterized by their fluffy texture and a hole in the middle. They are typically prepared during the Holy Week festivities. Although there are many varieties of rosquillas, the classic ones are prepared with a combination of eggs, sugar, milk, oil, lemon zest, flour, baking powder, and anisette, which imparts a unique flavor to these tasty donuts.

Another classic variety of rosquillas is made with sweet muscat wine (moscatel), and those donuts are known as rosquillas de vino. After they have been deep-fried, rosquillas are typically served as a sweet snack, topped with cinnamon sugar. 

Picadillo de papa is a savory Costa Rican dish consisting of picadillo potatoes, chopped bell peppers, onions, and ground beef. The dish is traditionally served with tortillas and rice, and it is customary to consume it by filling the tortillas with picadillo and blended beans, which are typically served on the side.

Picadillo de papa is popular throughout Latin America, so there are several versions of the dish with different vegetables.

Sopa negra is a traditional soup with variations throughout Latin America. It's made with a combination of black beans, onions, bell peppers, hot peppers, cilantro, garlic, and chicken broth. The soup is cooked until the beans become tender, and it's then garnished with chopped hard-boiled eggs and a dollop of sour cream or avocado slices.

The eggs are cooked in the soup and then removed and peeled before being used as garnishes. This hearty bean soup is usually served with warm corn tortillas on the side and white rice that's mixed into the soup.

Ceviche Tico is a Costa Rican version of the famous ceviche, available in many versions throughout the country, consisting of white fish or shrimps marinated in lime juice, chilis, coriander, garlic, and onions. When all of the ingredients have been combined, the concoction is chilled for at least three hours before consumption.

It is said that the secret to making a ceviche Tico lies in in using a small variety of inexpensive ingredients. This light appetizer is usually served with crackers, tortilla chips, or boiled green plantains on the side.