Costa Rica may be famous for its pristine beaches and lush rainforests, but it’s also home to numerous gardens that produce a wide variety of tropical fruits.
On your Costa Rica tours, it would be a crime not to sample all these gustatory wonders. When traveling in Costa Rica, visit the weekend farmers’ markets – ferias – enjoy a fruit smoothie in a local restaurant or simply stop to pick a ripe mango. Come and discover unfamiliar and simply succulent flavors during your trip to Costa Rica.
Mango
This brilliant fruit is tender and succulent, making it a favorite in the region. The large, orange-red variety is known in Costa Rica as manga tomi and offers a sweet but slightly tart taste with a stringy texture. Smaller, kidney-shaped mangoes, known locally as mango pita, are milder and sweeter. Try a green, unripe mango, which is often sold on sidewalks, sliced and served with lime and chili as many ticos eat it. Delicious!
Coconut
Lying on the beach sipping coconut water is an image of paradise. And in Costa Rica, large coconuts (also known as pipa), still green and filled with a clear, semi-sweet liquid, are often sold in seaside towns along the coast, or even in many less popular beaches. The flesh inside is soft and delicate.
Smaller, ripe, brown coconuts (known as coco playero) reveal a harder, thicker pulp beneath their woody shells. This flesh is often used in Costa Rican desserts, bean dishes and Caribbean rice. Certainly one of the most widely used fruits in Costa Rica.
Its oil is used in cosmetics and for hair care.
Granadilla
If you break the orange shell on this passion fruit, you’ll find small grayish edible seeds, mixed with a jelly-like substance. Although they may not look appetizing to you, granadillas are sweet and delicious, which is why they’re so popular in the region.
There are two main varieties of granadilla: yellow granadilla (Passiflora ligularis) and purple granadilla (Passiflora edulis). Yellow granadilla is also known as “grenadia” or “parcha” in some regions, while purple granadilla is more commonly known as “maracuya” or “fruta de la pasión” (passion fruit). Both varieties have a hard, shiny outer skin that can vary in color from pale yellow to dark purple.
Granadilla is often eaten fresh, by cutting the fruit in half and extracting the pulp with a spoon. It is also used in smoothies, desserts, ice creams and sauces. Granadilla is appreciated for its refreshing flavor and nutritional profile, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. You’ll easily find it in local markets and fruit stalls in Costa Rica, offering locals and travelers alike a delicious tropical fruit experience.
Passion Fruit
This slightly larger variety of passion fruit has a more durable yellow skin and is mainly used to make juice.
Once sliced in half, its interior reveals a bright orange nectar filled with edible seeds. If you’d like to try eating it straight out of the shell, sprinkle a little sugar to temper the tart, acidic flavor, which is usually very surprising the first time you try it.
Passion fruit is an excellent antioxidant-loaded fruit to incorporate into your diet during your Costa Rica vacation!
Guayaba
Guayaba, also known as guava, is a fruit widely grown and enjoyed in Costa Rica, as well as in other tropical regions of the world. The guayaba is the fruit of the guava tree, a member of the Myrtaceae family.
Guayabas are round or oval fruits with a thin, light-green skin that can be smooth or grainy Guayaba somewhat similar to a pear. The inner flesh is usually white, pink or yellow, depending on the variety, and contains many small seeds. The texture of the flesh also varies according to variety, but it is generally soft, juicy and fragrant, with a characteristic sweet-tart flavor.
Guayabas are often eaten fresh, either by biting directly into the fruit, or cut into quarters and scooped out. They are also used in juices, smoothies, jellies, jams, desserts and even savory dishes in some kitchens.
Guayaba is appreciated for its delicious flavor, fragrant aroma and health benefits, as it is rich in vitamins C and A, fiber and antioxidants. It is also often considered a staple of Costa Rican cuisine, where it is widely grown and consumed throughout the year.
Mamones
“Mamones” are actually known botanically as Melicoccus bijugatus, and are also called genip or quenepa in other parts of Latin America. They are a popular tropical fruit in Costa Rica and other parts of Central America.
Mamones are small, round fruits, usually about the size of a golf ball, with a thick, green skin that can be difficult to remove. Beneath this skin lies juicy, sweet and slightly tart flesh, as well as one or more large seeds.
Mamones are often eaten fresh, crunching directly into the pulp to extract the nectar. This fruit is appreciated for its refreshing flavor and unique texture.
Mamones are often sold by street vendors or at local markets, especially during the rainy season. They are generally eaten as a snack in summer, and are much appreciated by Costa Ricans and visitors alike for their delicious taste and refreshment in the tropical climate. They taste a little like limes and have different names in the Caribbean, including quenapa, genip, guaya and lemoncillo.
Guanabana
Guanabanas are large, spiky fruits similar in shape and size to a soccer. It is most often used to make a creamy juice. When sliced open, pockets of soft white flesh can be pulled out of the fruit like string cheese, leaving the large black seeds behind. They taste like a combination of pineapple, banana and coconut. Sound familiar? No ? Well, come to Costa Rica and see for yourself!
Tamarind
Tamarind is the fruit of the tamarind tree and is a very popular food in Asian and Latin American cuisine. In Costa Rica, they are used to make fruit juice, paste, syrup and jam. The pulp is both sweet and sour, making it a candy when covered in sugar.
Tamarind is a fruit rich in flavor and vitamins B, C and E, as well as fiber (20 grams per 100 grams of tamarind). It is also used as a medicine in many tropical countries to treat various ailments. The tamarind’s flesh is very dense, with an intense, dark brown color. Its taste is sweet and sour, and can vary according to the tamarind’s state of ripeness.
Jocote
Between July and August, this is the period when Costa Rica’s exquisite jocotes – Spondias purpurea- are found in abundance. It originated in southern Mexico and Central America. It then spread to the Caribbean and tropical America.
Its name comes from the Nahuatl “xocotl”, meaning “sour”.
The tree can reach heights of over 10 meters, with countless branches forming an open crown. The fruit is easily visible on the branches, as the tree loses most of its leaves during harvesting.
Green jocotes are a source of fiber and iron, while ripe jocotes are higher in sugars and other substances with strong antioxidant power.
Cas
It belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is native to Costa Rica. Similar in appearance and characteristics to the guava, the cas (Psidium friedrichsthalianum Nied) is a fruit with a sweet-tart taste, much appreciated for ice cream and in juice. Cas comes from the word “Kas” in Brunca, the mother tongue of the indigenous Boruca people of Central America. This type of guava is also known as guayaba agria, guayaba de coronilla, guayaba del Chaco, arrayán, guayaba de Costa Rica or guayaba de agua.
This tropical fruit is rich in vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E, phosphorus, folic acid, fiber and has a prebiotic effect. Its consumption promotes intestinal health and also helps to absorb iron and strengthen the immune system. A must-taste as it is extremely refreshing.
Banana
The banana, el banano in Spanish and not banana, nothing extraordinary you might ask?
Yet the banana is one of Costa Rica’s most emblematic fruits, and plays a major role in the country’s economy. Costa Rica is one of the world’s leading banana producers and exporters, with banana plantations covering vast tracts of land in the country’s coastal regions, particularly on the Atlantic coast.
The banana variety most commonly grown and exported by Costa Rica is the Cavendish banana, which is appreciated for its sweet flavor, creamy texture and durability. However, we recommend that you try the small criollo bananas – Creoles – to taste a unique banana. This variety is reserved for local consumption.
Banana production is an important industry for the Costa Rican economy, generating jobs for thousands of people and making a significant contribution to the country’s exports. Costa Rican bananas are mainly destined for international markets, notably North America and Europe, where they are sold fresh in Super Markets or processed into by-products such as fruit juices and desserts.
Bananas and plantains are also staples in the Costa Rican diet. They are eaten fresh as a snack or added to a variety of dishes (plantain), including gallo pinto (mixed rice and beans), fruit smoothies and traditional desserts such as banana cake.
Pitaya or Dragon Fruit
The pitaya or dragon fruit is a magnificent tropical fruit grown in Costa Rica. The variety, which is pink inside and out, is named after its Costa Rican country of origin: Costarricencis.
The outside is bright pink, the inside magenta. The flesh is studded with small edible black seeds. There are, however, several varieties of dragon fruit. The pitaya is a fruit that many people overlook because they don’t know what it is or how to eat it. Yet it’s a must-try on a trip to Costa Rica.
It’s easy to cut and eat with a spoon. It can also be juiced with many other fruits, such as bananas and guanabanas. It’s a fruit rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidant properties to help the cardiovascular, immune and digestive systems.
Caimite
Caimite is the fruit of a tropical tree native to Central America and the Caribbean, particularly Costa Rica. The botanical name of the tree is Chrysophyllum cainito and it belongs to the Sapotaceae family.
The pulp inside is soft and juicy, white to cream-colored, with a sweet, slightly acidic taste. The texture is often described as creamy and resembles condensed milk, hence the nickname “milk apple”. The consistency resembles ice cream. Its indefinable taste is a little like apple and persimmon.
Caimite is usually eaten fresh by cutting it in half and eating the pulp with a spoon. It is also sometimes used to prepare juices, smoothies or desserts. This fruit is appreciated for its delicate flavor and subtle aroma, but it is important to note that the seeds inside the fruit are poisonous and should not be eaten. The caimito fruit is high in vitamin C and flavonoids with a powerful antioxidant effect. Its vitamin C content is very similar to that of oranges, and the antioxidant effect is enhanced by the presence of flavonoid pigments.
Mamon Chino – Rambutan
The rambutan is an exotic fruit native to Southeast Asia, but is also cultivated in other tropical regions of the world, including some Central American countries such as Costa Rica. The botanical name of the rambutan is Nephelium lappaceum and, like the lychee, it belongs to the Sapindaceae family.
The fruit of the rambutan is a small berry-like drupe, about 3 to 6 centimetres long. It is covered with soft, spiny hairs, giving it a distinctly exotic appearance. The color of the skin varies from red to yellow or green, depending on the fruit’s degree of ripeness.
Inside, the rambutan’s juicy, sweet pulp surrounds a single seed, similar to that of the lychee. The pulp is generally translucent, with a tender texture and a mild, slightly acidic flavor, often compared to that of grapes or lychees.
Rambutan is usually eaten fresh by peeling the outer skin and eating the pulp directly, or by removing it from the seed. It can also be used in desserts, juices, fruit salads and sweet and savoury dishes.
The natives of Central America also used rambutan leaves and bark to make dyes and inks.
Noni
Noni is an irregularly shaped fruit that grows on small bushes or trees. Noni (or mulberry) is native to Polynesia. Noni was originally used by the Hawaiians as a tonic to treat many ailments.
Noni has a long history of use in the traditional medicines of the regions where it grows. Almost every part of the noni plant, including fruit, leaves, flowers and roots, has been used for medicinal purposes. The noni fruit itself has a strong, unpleasant odor, and its taste is generally described as slightly bitter and tart.
Noni fruit is full of powerful antioxidants and compounds that apparently increase vitality. Among its many benefits are its high selenium content, which promotes skin elasticity and health; xeronine, which promotes health and regeneration of cell structure; scopoletin, which has great anti-inflammatory properties; and terpin, which helps detoxify the body. Many people stay away from this amazing superfood because of its unpleasant smell.
Cacao
To speak of Costa Rican fruit without mentioning cocoa would be an unforgivable oversight. Indeed, Costa Rica has the ideal climate for growing the fruit of the drink of the Gods. Cocoa plantations are found mainly on the Caribbean coast and in certain parts of the Pacific region. Cocoa production in Costa Rica is often focused on quality rather than quantity. Many small family farms grow cocoa in the traditional way, using sustainable farming methods. This produces high-quality cocoa beans, often prized by artisan chocolatiers for their unique aromas.
Visitors can tour cocoa plantations, take part in guided tours to learn more about the growing and processing process, and sample a variety of cocoa products, from chocolate to hot drinks.
The benefits of cocoa are many. It’s an antioxidant, an anti-stress agent, improves brain function, helps intestinal transit… In short, eating at least 70% cocoa is a source of rejuvenation for everyone. But beware: added sugar is often of poor quality. So it’s important to check the origins and ingredients of the chocolate you eat.
This short list of Costa Rican fruits is far from exhaustive. You’ll see a multitude of others, and we encourage you to taste them during your Costa Rica tour. It’s one of the attractions of travel to discover new, exotic flavors.
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