Tropical Taste

Plantains are a lot more than just starchy big bananas. This fruit, that varies from green to yellow to brown, is a staple in Caribbean cuisine with flavors just as unique ranging from salty to sweet.

At the heart of an unripe, green-shelled coconut – locally known as a pipa – hides water from a veritable fountain of youth.

Though the ubiquitous “casado” may be the most popular meal in Costa Rica, this traditional dish marks neither the beginning nor the end of the culinary options available within each region.

This prickly fruit's outer shell resembles a sea anemone and houses a pulp that has the flavor and resemblance of a naked grape. They are as fun to eat as they are to look at, so don't miss your chance to try one.

These strange-looking fruits at the market or steaming in a street corner vendor’s pot come from perhaps the most important plant in the human history of the lowland American tropics.