Farmer’s Market + More!
Roadside stand near Cocles.
One of the things I love about the Caribe Sur area is that you are immersed in nature with abundant wildlife and have access to a variety of foods. After two decades of travel to Costa Rica, I have found it difficult to have the best of both worlds. The dense jungle regions have little access to markets and quality dining. The more densely populated areas have better food options, but lack the primary and secondary rainforests that I long to be in. From restaurants to markets, you can find everything you need to satisfy your palate and cook great meals in your kitchen at UP! HOUSE Costa Rica. You might even see a monkey or sloth near the roadside as you bike your way to market!
Super Negro and Super Cocles are an easy an 8 minute bike ride away, 3 minutes by car. They are great places to stock up on everything from meats, produce, wine, and more! Forgot your flip-flops? Need some batteries? These two stores have it all. And a quick 2 minute walk from UP! HOUSE Costa Rica, is El Duende Gourmet in Playa Chiquita. El Duende has an excellent selection of cheeses and wine, as well as fresh baked items. You can even rent bikes or visit the barber next door. Health food-minded travelers may want to check out the new Macrobiótica Saro Natural in Hone Creek and Bio Mercado in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. But, even with the abundance of grocery stores in Caribe Sur, a MUST on your culinary shopping agenda should be a trip to the local farmer’s market and roadside stands throughout the area.
Wondering what to plan for a Saturday morning? Grab a tote bag and head on over to Puerto Viejo for the Feria Agrícola y Artesanal de Puerto Viejo. So to not miss out, be sure you are there by 9am, as this is THE place to be for locals and visitors alike on a sunshine filled morning in this vibrant beachside community. Farmers and artisans arrive bright and early (6am!) to showcase their best products. Here you can find a great assortment of certified organic fruits and vegetables, fresh baked breads, juices, small batch kombucha, cheeses, chocolates, candles, cosmetics, sauces, and more!
Follow the crowd and watch for this sign in the center of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. The feria is near the large public parking lot by the water. Also good to know: the feria has a hand washing station outside its gate, monitors the amount of people, and requires masks.
You can even grab a healthy breakfast wrapped in a banana leaf bowl and get energized with a natural smoothie or traditional café chorreado (traditional Costa Rican drip coffee) at Desayunos de Feria within the market. Owner/Chef Emma Ureña creates bold and flavor-packed dishes such as Shakshuka, a warmly spiced Israeli dish of simmering tomatoes, peppers, and onions with poached eggs and cheese with a Mexican fusion-twist of ranchero sauce. There are many vegan and vegetarian dishes as well.
Desayunos de Feria serves up healthy dishes for market goers every Saturday morning.
Photo credit: Emma Ureña, Private Flavors
I recently visited Christina’s booth from Talamanca Organica Cacao & Fine Chocolate. She has been producing award-winning chocolate from seed to bar for the past 30 years. So, of course, I purchased a bar, from 72% cacao and 18% sugar. But, I was equally excited about the bag of katuk she sold me for 1000 colones and the handful of turmeric root for 500! As she was wrapping up my purchase, a feria regular remarked, “Oh! You are going to LOVE katuk. It makes the best pesto!” And Christina told me how to use turmeric root to create a soothing tea, known for its anti-inflammatory properties. For me, a person with chronic back issues, that was an easy sell! Check out this journal for my recipes for JUNGLE PESTO and TURMERIC TEA inspired by this visit to the feria. Oh, and one thing I love to do with her chocolate - I break off a square each morning and stir it into my coffee. Perfection!
Katuk - a leafy green plant grown in tropical regions. Its nutty flavor makes it a hearty addition to many recipes.
Turmeric - a relative of ginger, this root boasts a strong saffron color and earthy flavor. Its anti-inflammatory medicinal benefits have the greatest benefit when combined with black peppercorns, due to piperine, a compound that has been proven to drastically increase the body’s ability to absorb curcumin (the main active ingredient in turmeric).
Before opening our doors at UP! House Costa Rica, I was already a fan of Kiö Amenidades & Cosmética Natural. So I was very excited to meet the owner, Carla, at the feria to learn more about her natural and locally grown shampoos, lotions, and soaps. Kiö products highlight the nature of Costa Rica, and the ingredients are harvested from a small garden in Playa Negra, in which the team at Kiö grows organically certified lemon grass, ylang ylang, achiote, oregano and turmeric. We offer Kiö products to our guests at UP! House Costa Rica, but also recommend you stop by her booth at the feria!
Carla, owner of Kiö Amenidades & Cosmética Natural, brings handcrafted bar soaps, lotions, oils, and hair products each Saturday to the market. These little soap bars make great gifts to bring home to your friends.
Photo Credit: Kiö Amenidades & Cosmética Natural
The feria is a great place to get to know the farmers and artisans. Talk to the cheese maker about his process. I like the Queso Ahumado (smoked cheese). It is a queso maduro (hard cheese), and I really enjoy frying it in a little oil and spices and serving it with a dinner of jerk chicken, rice, and plantains. You will find several vendors selling fresh breads and pastries - even some gluten free ones - which is always a treat to bring back to Up! House Costa Rica. There is a basket maker, whose designs are simply beautiful, and some baskets are small enough that you easily fit them in your suitcase when you travel home. If you like hot sauce, I highly recommend picking up a bottle for your stay. Caribbean hot sauces typically have a banana pepper base, which provides a bright, vibrant addition to any dish. You might even find some homemade “Nutella.” That, paired with fresh bread…superb!
The feria is on Saturdays - so, what if you want a delectable treat Sunday through Friday, perhaps as you are riding your bike on the main road? Well, there are roadside stands every few hundred meters, that sell empanadas, patis, fruit and vegetables, jerk chicken, batidos, pipa fria and more! I am not kidding when I say that you can eat your way through the Caribe Sur area. A typical morning for us, is to ride our bikes down to Cocles (normally we have to run to the hardware store or local market). On the way back, we grab empanadas and/or patis (for breakfast), a pipa fria, (for instant thirst-quenching), some fruit (to make batidos back at the house), and bread (to go with dinner.) We enjoy talking with the vendors. The price is right. And it is all very fresh and healthy.
Empanadas and Patis are sold at stands throughout the Caribe Sur area. They may be filled with cheese, ground meat, curried chicken, vegetables, gallo pinto, and more! They make for a tasty, quick, and cheap breakfast, lunch, or snack!
El Chante Bakery, a roadside stand on the main road between Cocles and Playa Chiquita, sells delicious fresh bread and pastries, such a cinnamon rolls, basil bread, and herbed turmeric loaves.
Pipa fria (cold coconut water) can really quench your thirst. Sold for about 500 colones, you can find roadside stands selling this refreshing, natural beverage up and down to coast of Caribe Sur. This particular stand is located at the south edge of Cocles.
Want to learn more about the culinary treasures of Caribe Sur? Check out my journal post about Caribe Sur restaurants in “Gastronomic Delights.”