Some of the things we like to eat - by Kristen

We've had a few requests to post pictures of things we eat here in Costa Rica.  I've taken some photos and plan to take more and keep you updated as we discover more favorite foods.  We go to the feria (farmers' market) every Friday and fill up our stroller with local produce, cheese, yogurt, and chicken.  We love the abundance of tropical fruits here.  

We only bought this once since it was so rich. We couldn't even finish it off, but it was delicious.  This is a hollowed out candied grapefruit.  A sweetened condensed milk type product is poured in the grapefruit and somehow solidifies.  The first bite is delicious and very very rich.  Every other bite is filled with guilt.  :]  

Salsa Lizano tastes vinegar-y and they use it with vegetables.  "Salsa" just means sauce and isn't the "salsa" we're accustomed to in the US.  For example, ketchup is "salsa de tomate."  

This is chayote squash.  I know we can get it in the US, but I never had it until we came here.  The first time I cooked with it I didn't know I was supposed to peel it first.  The second time I actually peeled it, but my fingers felt slippery, but were actually dry, for hours afterward.  I asked our Spanish teacher about this, and apparently I was supposed to peel it under cold running water. 

I've made a tasty chayote soup with this and also sauteed it with chopped up carrots, onions, and red pepper served over rice and drizzled with Salsa Lizano.  I'm anxious to find more ways to use it. 

 This fruit has the be the all time favorite of my husband and daugther; mamon chino or lychee.  They sure look ugly, but are sweet and delicious.  They can eat about 2 kilograms of this in 3 days.  The first time we bought it at the market they made sure to let us know that it is a huge choking hazard for children.  

This is my favorite; papaya.  I like to cut it in half, scrape out the seeds, and eat it with a spoon.  We eat about 3 of these in 1 week.  The Tico version tastes so much sweeter than any other papaya I've ever eaten, even in Hawaii.

Mamon chino's #1 Fan!  Please don't choke!