Islands & Beaches
I Slurped My Way Along the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica
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by Rolf Potts
26-06-2024
Islands & Beaches
a
by Rolf Potts
26-06-2024
My first stop in Costa Rica, the seaside town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, was approaching sunset when I arrived. Satta Lodge, tucked up in the bush not far from the beach, is where I checked in. Neither the sloth sanctuary nor the verdant jungles of Corcovado National Park nor the enticing beaches were the main draws for me visiting this verdant nation. I went to Limón province, on the eastern coast of Costa Rica, to sample Jamaican food, which has a rich tradition there.
The shoreline where young Marcus Garvey would launch his career as an activist for racial and political justice was once home to Caribbean fisherman in the early 1800s. Jamaicans seeking work flocked to Limón in the 1870s, when a huge railway project was underway to bring coffee beans from the Costa Rican highlands. Nearly 20,000 Jamaicans came to Costa Rica at the turn of the twentieth century to labor on the infamous plantations owned by the United Fruit Co. Despite the oppressive conditions, the immigrants were able to hold on to their traditions, which shaped the local cuisine and culture.
While many of these Jamaicans' offspring now call other regions of Costa Rica home, the Afro-Caribbean culture that permeates Limón is where their legacy is most felt. The colors green, black, and red, which Garvey used to design a flag representing the Pan-Africanist movement he supported, can be seen all around town, from apparel to stores and eateries. Many modern artworks feature Black women, who play an essential role in preserving cultural cuisines. Furthermore, "easygoing" is more of a philosophical stance than a practical way of living.
I arrived at Morian Soda Caribeña after a rather exhausting five-hour trip from Juan Santamaría International Airport. I strolled a few blocks from the lodge to find my first supper in the country. Along with a "small" piece of baked snapper that about filled the entire container, I devoured a heaping helping of beans and rice (often called "rice and peas" in the African diaspora), veggies, and plantains. It was a soul-nourishing lunch.
Based out of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, I planned to spend the following three days driving throughout the area.
I went forty miles north down the coast to Limón for another hearty lunch at Barbarita's Caribbean Food after waking up to the sound of howler monkeys. In honor of the Jamaican influence in the area, the daily buffet prepared by owner Damaris Barrantes Mendez and her family has dishes such as traditional rice and beans, Caribbean chicken sautéed in a mildly flavored coconut milk, and hash made with chayote, a summer squash. Cahuita is a lively community around 30 miles south of Limón; I retraced my steps and headed back down the coast to visit Cahuita's Taste Caribbean Soul Food, where I would be meeting chef Doria Sequeira Selles. Following a flight of creative ciders that included pineapple chile and Caribbean punch, I paired my langosta en salsa caribeña con camarones—lobster over plump shrimp, immersed in a curry sauce scented with subtle spices—with a star-fruit cider. I was fortunate to have patacones, a Costa Rican classic, to help me absorb all of that flavor. The green plantain is an essential ingredient in many African diaspora meals, and this dish is just one of many Latin American and Caribbean takes on the fruit. Sweet and alcoholic rum cake, a dish that has become synonymous with Selles, served as the dessert to cap off the meal. Selles said that the dessert was her way of honoring the neighborhood that is important to her business and her personality. Selles informed me, "We are Black people." So I asked around. We will always be identified as Black, regardless of our location. It is expected that we cherish our heritage and uphold its customs. This is what we accomplished, and for that we should be proud.
I ate an early lunch on the beach at Tamara's Caribbean Restaurant in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, where I overheard Rastafarians chatting with other tourists and friends. On a scorching summer day, I relished a bowl of creamy seafood soup that included an abundance of shrimp and mussels. It was strangely calming. At Playa Puerto Viejo, I listened to the surf crash while I savored my last gulps of cuba libre. Salsa Brava Restaurant & Bar has been around for a long time and is famous for its reggae evenings and "ground provision" meals such fried sweet plantains and cassava fritters. El Sendero Beach Club is a newer establishment just along the shore.
The Patterson family's Jamaican recipes are shared at Salsa Brava for purposes of "survival" and "identity," according to Salsa Brava owner Wanda Patterson. "Our parents and great-grandparents influenced the use of root vegetables, coconut milk, and oil," she explained.
As I eagerly awaited my sandwich—a journeycake—her robust, Caribbean bun—served with refried beans, veggies, curry sauce, and pico de gallo—I leaped into the water. It was only a three-minute stroll from the beach clubs to the vegan restaurant Jammin Vegan, and I was ready to eat after wading in water with shimmers of light. Owner Brian "Temps" Templeton, whose parents are from Jamaica and raised him in the United Kingdom, now offers vegan takes on the traditional cuisine his parents made for him. I tried his take on saltfish fritters, which consisted of jerk sauce, chickpea and wheat flour patties spiced with garlic, chile, and strips of salty nori.
I was determined to find oxtail in Puerto Viejo before I went since it seemed strange to be in the Caribbean without it. The soft meat came with beans and rice at Joe SnackPoint & Caribbean Food. A revitalizing watermelon beverage at Cocomar Comida Caribeña, a nearby eatery, brought me to life amongst the scorching Costa Rican sun.
When we returned to Limón, La Nena was an excellent last destination. I was reminded of how the Jamaican population has shaped this shore as I looked out at the ocean and breathed in the salt-filled air. Over a meal of patacones and, you guessed it, rice and beans, happy, animated conversations floated on the breeze, carried on by most tables.
