Costa Rican chef showcasing Indigenous cuisine

[Judi Lynn]

Saturday, 25 Feb 2023 9:37 PM MYT

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Feb 25 — The recipes are not written down, the ingredients local. At Sikwa restaurant in the Costa Rican capital, a deep-rooted respect for Indigenous culture is what determines the menu.

The establishment in San Jose is the brainchild of Chef Pablo Bonilla, who ten years ago decided to leave behind everything he had learned in his culinary studies.

For years, he immersed himself in the Indigenous cultures of his native country, living with eight different Indigenous groups in turn: the bribri, cabecar, ngobe, maleku, brunca, teribe, huetar and chorotega.

He learned everything he could about the ingredients they use and how to harvest and cook them.

The process, he said, meant “wiping my memory of everything I learnt, everything I studied about gastronomy and about Costa Rican cuisine.

More:
https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2023/02/25/costa-rican-chef-showcasing-indigenous-cuisine/56768

[cilla4progress]

1. Nice!

When I was there in 2014 I was dismayed that the "local cuisine" - nice restaurants - was predominantly Italian food! Which I love. But I couldn't get a handle on their local food culture!

Also went to a great Greek restaurant in San Jose.

[BigmanPigman]

2. Now I want to know the names of these dishes

and their ingredients. It took several attempts to find out what the hell "charred lace" was as an ingredient in the film The Menu.
It turned out to be squid ink fried wafer.

Too bad Tony Bourdain never went to Costa Rica. I bet it would have been a good show.