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European mountain towns in winter

From the Alps to the Pyrenees, Europe is home to some of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Tucked into valleys between those peaks, straddling foothills, or lapping at the edge of lakes and ocean inlets are countless picturesque mountain towns and villages. Each of these historic hamlets radiates a charm that becomes even more irresistible when the winter snowfalls. From Italy to Norway and across the Alps, winter makes these European mountain towns all the more enticing.

1. Salzburg, Austria

Photo: canadastock/Shutterstock

The birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, possibly the world’s most celebrated composer, lies in the northwest corner of Austria, where it perfectly blends city culture and rugged Alpine lifestyle. Salzburg means “salt mountain,” and its famed salt mines account for some of the wealth that resulted in the town’s elegant, baroque architecture — which is frosted with a delicate coat of white snow throughout the winter. Towering above the town, the Fortress Hohensalzburg headlines Salzburg’s UNESCO World Heritage site and once-protected the salt mines below. Gazing at the surrounding mountains from the city center is the perfect way to feel as though you’ve stumbled into a Charles Dickens film.

2. Zermatt, Switzerland

Photo: Bernsten/Shutterstock

With its pyramid-like rock spire, the Matterhorn might just be the world’s most iconic peak. Squeezed into a valley nearly at the base of that most memorable mountain, the town of Zermatt itself is no less striking, an expansive mountain village in Switzerland where the signature chalet architecture has become a staple in ski towns the world over. Zermatt so closely resembles a mountainous fairytale that Disney filmed Third Man on the Mountain here in 1958, and that effect is only amplified when the sloped rooftops of the village are loaded up with snow. If ever there were a place to enjoy year-round skiing and Swiss fondue, it’s in Zermatt next to the towering and elegant Matterhorn, one of the world’s most dangerous mountains to climb. Although you can admire the mountain from many spots in town and ski or snowboard with it in view for most of the day, there are also a few other good ways to get a closer look.

3. Hallstatt, Austria

Photo: proslgn/Shutterstock

On the western shore of Lake Hallstatt, the Austrian town that shares its name with the stunning alpine lake, is a postcard come to life. The lake itself covers over three square miles and, reaching depths over 400 feet, dazzles with its piercing blue color. From town, guests can take the funicular to the Skywalk Hallstatt overlook platform for their own postcard shot of that very lake and the Alpine peaks that surround it. They can also visit an underwater salt lake and tour the salt mines that once provided a major source of income for the town. Looking out onto snow-capped peaks, over the tiny village and to the crystal lake is considered one of the most iconic experiences in the Austrian Alps. The entire area is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it’s so beautiful that China erected a replica of the village in Guangdong Province in 2011.

4. Mittenwald, Germany

Photo: FooTToo/Shutterstock

No Bavarian mountain town is more classically Bavarian than Mittenwald. Downtown, the Obermarkt district fills with snow and revelers who stroll between the famed St. Peter and Paul Church and chalets, restaurants, and pubs. Mittenwald is known as the “village of a thousand violins” as it was once a major manufacturer of the instrument, and many a musician still charms the town with tunes on busy evenings. Each December Mittenwald hosts one of Germany’s most enchanting Christmas markets, with residents and visitors perusing wooden stalls while sipping hot Feuerzangenbowle.

5. Alesund, Norway

Photo: Shutterstock/In Green

Norway’s fjordland is a common dream vacation for Americans, and these photos of the waterside mountain town of Alesund make it clear why. Its location embodies what makes coastal Norway a unique place: towns built at sea level surrounded by fjords, peaks, and inlets that offer views unlike any in the world. In the winter, downhill skiing, ski touring, and snowshoeing are all within easy reach. Or you could just relax and admire the northern lights string over snow-capped peaks and the Norwegian Sea simultaneously. In fact, skiing is possible on its glaciers in summer as well — as is heading out onto the water to gaze back at the town’s gumdrop-colored buildings.

6. Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

Photo: posztos/Shutterstock

Italy’s Dolomites range contains some of the most irresistible ski areas in Europe, combining as they do slopes for every type of ski ability with stunning vistas, incredible cuisine, and a friendly mountain vibe. Amid all the towns in the Dolomites, Cortina is known as “the pearl.” The site of the 1956 Winter Olympic Games lies in the Ampezzo valley where two rivers meet and is a place to be enjoyed not just on skis, snowboards, cross-country skies, or snowshoes, but in a pair of cozy winter boots. The town is an excellent place to shop or to step into one of its many restaurants for a unique meal that showcases the area’s Alpine Austrian influences, with zesty salamis and rich cheeses, but, of course, inimitable pastas as well.

7. Chamonix, France

Photo: Nataliya Nazarova/Shutterstock

Chamonix is well known for its fearsome peaks, and it attracts not just some of the most rugged and fearless athletes in France but also in the world. It’s understandably a favored destination to film the kind of ski films that make you wonder how some of the feats are humanly possible. But Chamonix is also very French, with unforgettable restaurants serving wines from the Savoie region. So if ski touring with a guide and bypassing deep crevasses is not on your travel bucket list, not to worry. There’s plenty to do in the town’s shops, brasseries, and cafes. Chamonix’s historic town center is a great place to be once the snow starts falling.

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New Colorado state park suggestions

With 42 state parks and more than a third of the state under federal direction by the Bureau of Land Management, National Forest Service, and National Park Service, Colorado is a leader in a charge that many environmentalists note is a necessary global step in conservation: protecting 30 percent of the world from development by 2030 and, eventually, 50 percent by 2050.

Now, Colorado Parks and Wildlife wants you to help protect even more of the state. The agency, which is responsible for managing state parks, is seeking public input to create the next state park in Colorado. It has set up an online portal through which the public can nominate areas for state park consideration. If you know of a beautiful but unprotected natural spot in the Centennial State, the CPW wants to hear about it. State park status would ensure that wildlife and natural resources in the area receive proper maintenance and protection and that residents and visitors can responsibly recreate on the land. No set deadline for nominations has been announced, though the agency did release this “story map” to help you determine whether or not an area might qualify.

Just don’t make casual suggestions. To be seriously considered, the area must meet specific requirements including providing “outstanding nature-based recreation,” meeting a need to conserve natural resources, and being able to financially sustain itself within the state parks system. This means it must be accessible to all (not just hardcore mountain bikers or rock climbers) and should offer a leg up to parts of the state in need of additional outdoor recreation opportunities. Our guess for the next state park location? Northwestern Colorado, which is home to beautiful peaks and expansive views but lacks a regional state park.

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How to visit the Titanic shipwreck

Diving to see a shipwreck is always an enticing, adventurous prospect, and now you can visit the most famous wreck of them all. Next year, you can descend to the final resting place of the Titanic thanks to OceanGate Expeditions, and it’ll only set you back around $125,000 for the privilege.

The ship sank during its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City in 1912 after striking an iceberg. The shipwreck is located 270 miles off the coast of Newfoundland and about 2.4 miles underwater.

The Independent reports that between May and September of next year, six excursions will be departing from Canada for the famed shipwreck. Each passenger gets a private cabin on the eight-day journey and the chance to actually pilot a five-person submersible while completing the 90-minute descent to the Titanic. Dives last six to eight hours, with three hours set aside for exploring the ship itself. The trips will also double as scientific research missions to study the sea life around the ship. Nine passengers will be allowed on each excursion, and 36 tickets have already sold.

According to OceanGate, “The expedition crew size for each mission is about 40 people, including nine citizen explorers known as mission specialists, submersible pilots, operations crew, and content experts. Qualified individuals join the crew as mission specialists to support the mission by helping to underwrite the expedition and by actively assisting the team aboard the submersible and the ship in roles such as communications, navigation, sonar operation, photography, and dive planning.”

Since bacteria are currently eating away at the ship, this may be one of the last times to actually see the Titanic. Studies have suggested that the ship might be completely gone in 15 to 20 years.

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Virgin Hyperloop tested with humans

The first passengers traveled safely on the Virgin Hyperloop in Las Vegas this past Sunday.

The hyperloop is a new form of transportation that allows people to travel in a vacuum tube at speeds as high as 600 mph. Magnetic levitation lifts a train car above a track while magnets push the train upward. So far, the hyperloop has only reached 100 mph on the track rather than the 600 mph it’s allegedly capable of.

This weekend, Josh Giegel, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, and Sarah Luchian, Director of Passenger Experience, were the first people to test out the hyperloop.

Giegel and Luchian tested out the new XP-2 vehicle, custom-built to allow for maximum occupant safety and comfort. Ultimately the vehicle will be able to seat up to 28 passengers, but this initial demonstration was simply intended to show how passengers can travel safely inside a hyperloop.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop, said, “I had the true pleasure of seeing history made before my very eyes — to witness the first new mode of mass transportation in over 100 years come to life. I have always had tremendous faith in the team at Virgin Hyperloop to transform this technology into a safe system, and today we have done that. We are one step closer to ushering in a new era of ultra-fast, sustainable movement of people and goods.”

Despite the successful test, it’s not ready for public unveiling just yet. More testing must take place over the next few years to improve performance and safety, but the company hopes it will be certified for use in 2025 or 2026.

Virgin isn’t the only company experimenting with this technology. Elon Musk is currently building “Loop” in Las Vegas and is planning to build a hyperloop tunnel from Washington, DC, to New York to make the trip possible in just 29 minutes. Across the Atlantic, the Hardt Hyperloop is a proposed project between Amsterdam and Paris, connecting the two cities in just 90 minutes.

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WWI carrier pigeon message found

For anyone doubting the effectiveness of carrier pigeons — it might take a while, but it seems that they deliver the message eventually. In this case, it took over 100 years.

While out for a walk in a field in Ingersheim in eastern France, a couple found a small capsule containing a message sent by a Prussian infantry soldier over a century ago via carrier pigeon. Written in German, the message was addressed to a superior officer and described military maneuvers during World War I. The date isn’t easily legible but reads July 16 of either 1916 or 1910.

The message says, “Platoon Potthof receives fire as they reach the western border of the parade ground, platoon Potthof takes up fire and retreats after a while. In Fechtwald half a platoon was disabled. Platoon Potthof retreats with heavy losses.”

Useful information at the time, perhaps, but it’s unclear if it ever reached its intended recipient.

The couple in 2020 who discovered the incredibly rare items brought it to the Linge Museum in Orbey where both capsule and message will now sit on permanent display.

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UAE loosens Islamic laws

On Saturday, the United Arab Emirates announced changes to the country’s Islamic personal laws, loosening lifestyle restrictions, the Associated Press reports.

The changes will result in unmarried couples being allowed to live together, significantly less strict alcohol restrictions, and the criminalization of “honor killings.”

Among the changes are eliminating penalties for alcohol consumption, sales, and possession for people over 21. Previously, individuals needed a government-issued license to purchase alcohol or keep it in their homes. Unmarried couples will be permitted to live together legally — previously a crime in the UAE — and attempted suicide will also be decriminalized. Perhaps most significantly, laws defending “honor crimes” are also getting the axe. These laws allowed men to avoid prosecution for assaulting a female relative when they were considered to be dishonoring their family.

The UAE’s population consists of 90 percent of expatriates who are anticipated to welcome the looser rules as much as the locals. The changes take effect immediately.

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Endangered white rhino born Disney

An endangered white rhinoceros was born at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park in Lake Buena Vista, FL, on October 25, 2020. The white rhino was birthed by Kendi — the first rhino born at the park back in 1999 — and fathered by Dugan. Kendi was pregnant for 16 months before giving birth to the male calf. The unnamed rhino baby is the 11th white rhino born at Disney World.

According to a news release from Disney, “Calf and mother are doing well under the keepers’ watchful eyes. While rhinos are gregarious by nature; for now, the calf is resting, nursing and bonding with his mom.”

Photo: Walt Disney World News

Kendi and Dugan were paired together through a Species Survival Plan by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Native to Africa, the white rhino is listed as “near threatened” on the IUCN red list (International Union for Conservation of Nature), which estimates the population to be decreasing with only 10,080 mature individuals remaining in the wild. The species’ threats include hunting, trapping, and climate change.

Photo: Walt Disney World News

The new birth at Disney World is good news for the species. Visitors to the park will soon be able to see the adorable baby at the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction.

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Best beauty and self-care products

If there’s one thing everyone desperately needs this year, it’s more self-care, especially with the holidays approaching. All the anxiety of 2020 can be eased with simple yet amazing products that will help your loved ones relax and feel beautiful and rested. So stuff your friends and family’s stockings with affordable, quality products that will add a much-needed smidge of luxury to the end of this difficult year. From multi-purpose moisturizers and balms to essential oils and a compact massage roller, here are the perfect wellness stocking stuffers everyone needs this Christmas.

1. Hot cloth cleanser by Liz Earl, from $9

Photo: Liz Earle Beauty Co./Facebook

A hot cloth cleanser is luxurious and replaces eye makeup remover, freeing up some space in your toiletry bag while traveling. This creamy cleanser by Liz Earl massages beautifully into your skin and is removed with a hot flannel — which most hotels have. It leaves your skin soft and does not have any nasty ingredients. The company has also just launched a range of holiday packaging and has a variety of sizes and price points to choose from.

2. Multi-purpose balm by Lano, $15

Photo: LANO lips face allover/Facebook

Multi-purpose balms take a ton of bulk out of your toiletry bag. Perfect for dry skin, taming brows or split ends, moisturizing lips, aiding sunburn and insect bites, and softening cuticles, the 101 Ointment by Lano is an all-in-one product that is compact and affordable. This mid-range product works from top to toe and is made from a dense lanolin balm that seals in moisture. It has a collection of fruity flavors — apple, strawberry, peach, etc. — and the balm comes in red and pink for lush lips.

3. Yoga socks by Shashi Socks, from $16

Photo: Shashi Socks/Facebook

Yoga socks make a flow practice easier and hide your pedicure-less bare toes and heels. Shashi Socks has a colorful and diverse range of yoga socks. You can select from toeless, split toe, or regular. Our personal favorite is the mesh sparkle design which comes in 11 different shades.

4. Gift card of a monthly or annual subscription to Headspace, from $13

Photo: Headspace/Facebook

Headspace is becoming a household name. The mindfulness app was launched in 2010 by Andy Puddicombe who is a former Buddhist monk. Headspace is for anyone, from those who practice daily meditation to those who have never tried. The subscription service gives users access to workshops, courses, and multiple wind-downs and sleepcasts. You can purchase a gift card for a subscription from one month to a year.

5. Hair wrap by SILKE London, $65

Photo: SILKE London/Facebook

Silk hair wraps keep your hair from turning into a bird’s nest while you sleep. Silk cocoons the hair, encasing naturally produced oils equally throughout the strands, rather than letting them seep into the pillow. The wrap by SILKE London is made from 100 percent silk and comes in 11 colors.

6. Essential oils by Neal’s Yard, $36

Photo: Neal’s Yard

This handy organic hemp handwoven bag of roll-on essential oils is perfect for travel. There is a selection of four scents for pulse point use: Energy, Night Time, Relaxation, and Travel. The travel blend has lavender oil which is good for reducing stress and anxiety.

7. Massage ball roller by Trigger Point, $25

Photo: Trigger Point

We could all do with a massage ball roller in our stocking this year. Trigger Point’s double massage ball roller is ideal to help with the mobility of your neck, upper back, and thoracic spine. Its design helps getting to those hard to reach and tough spots. This is a perfect substitute for anyone who cannot get to a masseuse in person this holiday season.

8. General purpose moisturizer by Steam Cream, $17

Photo: STEAMCREAM/Facebook

This general-purpose moisturizer from Steam Cream is ideal for traveling. This is good for everywhere, like your hands, body, and face. It does not have sunblock or skincare properties, but it’s fine for everyday use on a trip. It is also affordable and comes in a variety of fun and colorful patterned tins. The tin also means the rich moisturizer does not leak like it tends to do in plastic.

9. Vitamin Stacks by Nourished, from $13

Photo: Nourished/Facebook

Nourished is a vitamin company like no other. It is revolutionizing the supplement market with the option to custom-make a stack of all-in-one vitamins. Its online quiz takes you through a series of questions to find out what you are lacking and provides you with a monthly supply in a smart box delivered to your door. It also has a selection of holiday gift packs that are geared toward more general needs such as prenatal care, support for skin, hair, and nails, and energy boosters.

10. Travel Hair Kit by Briogeo, from $23.99

Photo: Briogeo/Facebook

Travel kits tend to be a false economy, as it’s rare to find a package where you like all the things. But this travel hair care kit by Briogeo is entirely different. It has an online quiz you can take so you find the correct products to suit your hair needs. It’s a simple concept, but it is one of a handful of companies that cater to everyone and for that — and the fact that the line is 90 to 100 percent naturally derived — selecting a travel kit for your loved one is much more personal.

11. Natural hand sanitizer by Touchland, from $12

Photo: touchland/Facebook

You might be questioning the price point of this hand sanitizer by Touchland, but there is a good reason why it’s a little more expensive than most on the market. It contains 67 percent ethyl alcohol, but unlike most sanitizers, it does not smell like alcohol. It’s also dermatologically tested, free of parabens, and not tested on animals. Touchland’s products are also moisturizing and the TSA-approved bottle will last for up to 500 sprays. It has a cute design and comes in a variety of scents from watermelon to aloe vera.

12. Hydrating serum by Jordan Samuel, $29

Photo: Jordan Samuel/Facebook

A decent serum comes in handy in lots of situations when traveling. It’s brilliant for the flight because cabin air is really dry and dehydrating and a moisturizing serum that is rich in hyaluronic acid will trap water into your skin. Using a serum also means you can skip your moisturizer and go straight to sunblock. This hyaluronic acid serum by Jordan Samuel contains aloe leaf and cucumber extract which is calming and perfect for most skin types.

13. Masks by United by Blue, $20 for a pack of three

Photo: United by Blue

We’ve seen so many companies around the world turn their hand to make masks to serve us this year during the pandemic, which makes choosing a reusable mask a little daunting. That said, there are some that stand out as they are going a step further by supporting a cause through sales. United by Blue is a perfect example. It is keeping it local by donating one mask for every pack sold to Chosen 300 to benefit Philadelphia residents experiencing homelessness.

14. Sunblock by Beauty by Earth, $35 for a pack of two

Photo: Beauty By Earth/Facebook

Avoid travel-sized sunblocks — you can never have enough and small containers are a waste of plastic. Beauty by Earth makes mineral sunblocks without any toxins that can harm coral reefs. You can get a subscription or purchase a multi-pack.

15. Pure silk sleep mask by Slip, $50

Photo: slip/Facebook

Blocking out unwanted light and getting enough sleep when traveling is essential for maintaining well-being. Sleep masks can be lifesavers and opting for a one made from silk can also help prevent wrinkles and retain moisture in the skin. There’s a lot to choose from with Slip, with all its designs and colors. It is the best in the market, made from high-grade mulberry silk, and worth every cent.

16. Hydrating facial mist by Glow Recipe, $32

Photo: Glow Recipe/Facebook

Hydrating facial mist comes in a handy size so you can pop them in a carry-on to rehydrate during a flight or in a handbag if you need a spritz during a hot day. This mist from Glow Recipe is 84 percent watermelon and is blended with hyaluronic acid and hibiscus. It smells good enough to eat and is a real treat for your skin.

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Norway’s newly redesigned passport

At its most basic, a passport is a small book that allows you to move across borders. However, nations around the world know that the travel document is much more than a few sheets of paper.

There are two aspects that are essential to the making of a passport: safety and style. Countries want their passports to be extremely secure so they are not easily forged, but they also know that the look of their citizens’ travel documents matter — it’s a great way to show off a nation’s creativity.

In 2014, the Oslo-based design studio Neue won a competition to redesign Norway’s passport. The goal of the makeover was to heighten the document’s security feature while making sure its graphic characteristics exuded Norwegian identity and instilled a sense of pride and respect in its owners. Neue’s superb ideas certainly answered the call.

Six years later, Neue’s passport redesign is finally in circulation, putting all other passports to shame with its slick, minimalist cover and its beautifully illustrated pages.

Photo: Neue

Neue chose to represent Norway’s colors in its different passports — emergency passports are white, diplomatic passports are blue, and regular passports are red. Although red and blue are common colors for passports, the shades chosen are more pastel and bright, for a more modern take. But the cover doesn’t entirely stray from tradition, and has Norway’s crest, as well as the name of the document translated in several languages, embossed in gold — features found on most of the world’s passports.

Photo: Neue

While the outside of the redesigned passport is chic and stylish, the inside is nothing short of magical. Each page is illustrated with the country’s stunning landscapes — including the Lofoten islands and Telemark — in geographical order from north to south as the user flips the pages. Under UV lights, each landscape changes from a daytime scene to a nighttime one, with vibrant holograms of the moon and the northern lights, among other natural phenomena.

Photo: Neue

Neue explains its design choice on its website, “The landscapes surrounding us give a sense of belonging and pride, and fill a symbolic function for the entire nation. Images of scenery and landscape can easily become clichés, but by being widely accepted and deeply rooted in Norwegian culture, they are also very easy to identify with.”

Photo: Neue

The first new passports were issued on October 19. Those who want to obtain one will have to wait until their former, less-attractive passports have expired.

A version of this article was previously published on September 24, 2015, and was updated on November 9, 2020, with more information.

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Classic dishes from Costa Rica

Costa Rica is known for its waterfalls, beaches, sustainability, and pura vida lifestyle. One thing that should be on that list as well: the food.

“Our cooking reflects the tropical abundance we have everywhere in Costa Rica,” says Isabel Campabadal, a chef born and raised in San José.

Campabadal’s resume reads like a rundown of haute cuisine. Studies at France’s Le Cordon Bleu, LaVarenne École de Cuisine, École de Trois Gourmandes, and École de Cuisine Ritz Escoffier, as well as time in Italy under cooking authorities and cookbook authors Giuliano Bugialli and Marcella Hazan. Campabadal herself is internationally recognized and the author of 19 books.

Today, Campabadal is considered the creator of modern Costa Rican cuisine, and is the first to say that the country’s dishes more than deserve to share the pedestal with the cuisine of the European countries where she studied cooking.

In Costa Rican cooking, Campabadal says, three things are important: different textures, different colors, and different flavors. Dishes are filled with fruits, roots, and vegetables from the region, like the nutty pejibaye fruit, yuca, and plantains. Mangos, originally from Southeast Asia, have found a more than welcoming second home in Costa Rica. Fish is abundant, as to be expected in a country with two coasts, and dishes filled with rice, beans, chicken, and pork are as delicious as they are nourishing.

It would take years to fully explore the cuisine of Costa Rica, but you could do worse than start with these 12 dishes.

1. Gallo pinto

Photo: Esdelval/Shutterstock

Gallo pinto translates to “spotted rooster,” and it’s made with rice and either red or black beans cooked with onions, garlic, sweet pepper, and cilantro. The name comes from the speckled look of beans in rice.

In Campabadal’s book Costa Rica Cocina y Tradición, she writes, “If any one dish defines Costa Rican cuisine, it is Gallo Pinto: the omnipresent mixture of rice and beans that’s served with egg or sour cream of breakfast, or with beef, chicken, fish or a pork chop for lunch.”

2. Casado

Photo: EQRoy/Shutterstock

Casado translates to “married,” but in the case of food rather than relationships, it refers to a popular dish of black beans, rice, a protein (usually chicken or fish), plantains, tortillas, and, occasionally, a fried egg. The hearty meal is typically served for lunch.

According to Campabadal’s book, legend has it that the dish got its name when the workforce shifted from the country to the cities. Laborers would bring packed lunches made by their wives, and “city workers soon began to ask for lunches like those enjoyed by the ‘casados.’” Though there’s also the possibility it’s named after the marriage of flavors on the combination plate.

3. Pozol de cerdo

This dish is made with pork, garlic, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and corn — specifically pozol (also spelled pozole and also known as hominy). The corn was important to both Mayan and Aztec religious and warrior traditions. The name itself comes from the Nahuatl word pozolli, which means cooked corn.

Pigs were introduced to the Americas by Europeans in the 1500s, and the meat became a natural fit for this savory meal of cooked corn.

4. Sopa negra

Photo: StockphotoVideo/Shutterstock

This simple soup is made with onion, garlic, black bean broth, black beans, cilantro, and egg. Variations can be found across Central America, but the protein-rich soup has found a loving home in Costa Rica.

The most traditional way to cook the eggs for the soup is to keep the egg in shell and cook it at the same time as the soup is cooked. When it’s done, take the shell off of the now hard-boiled egg and pop it right back in the soup before enjoying.

5. Picadillos

Picadillos are side dishes that are more characterized by the cooking style than the ingredients. It’s essentially a hash of finely chopped vegetables, meat, or vegetables and meat that’s served alongside tortillas (a picadillo becomes a gallito when served on a tortilla).

There’s an almost infinite number of variations, Campabadal writes in her book. Some of the most popular are made with potatoes, corn, green beans, chayote squash (also known as mirliton or choko), breadfruit, and papaya.

6. Empanaditas de chiverre

Photo: lovelypeace/Shutterstock

There are many types of empanadas enjoyed in Central and South American countries. These are made with wheat flour and egg dough and are filled with a locally loved fruit called chiverre. Chiverre is a type of squash grown in the Costa Rican highlands that’s sometimes called a fig leaf gourd in English, and the green-skinned squash looks somewhat like a watermelon on the outside. On the inside, chiverre looks similar to a pumpkin.

Empanaditas de chiverre are most popular, as to be expected, during the plant’s harvest season, which falls around Easter.

7. Gatos

The direct translation of gatos — “cats” — doesn’t make a whole lot of sense if you’re unfamiliar with this small Costa Rican treat. When it comes to food, gatos are small, jelly-filled cakes with fluffy dough that are sprinkled with sugar. Gatos are popular at neighborhood bakeries.

One legend Campabadal writes about in her book states that the inspiration behind the name comes from a French baker in Cartago, which is a city near San José. The baker was known for the dessert and, allegedly, for offering people his cats (gateaux in French); the hispanicized version of the word came to represent the cakes instead of the cats.

8. Chifrijo

Photo: Diana Macias/Shutterstock

Chifrijo gets its name from its ingredients: chicharróns (fried pork skin) and frijoles (beans). Chifrijo is a popular bar snack and can be found at events around the country as well. Other than the two namesake ingredients, chifrijo can have any number of added ingredients. One popular addition is pico de gallo, which is a light salsa made with diced tomato, onion, cilantro, and lime.

As Campabadal puts in her book, “It goes down best with a cold beer.”

9. Enyucados

Enyucados are yuca croquettes that make for a satisfying snack served with pico de gallo or another salsa. Yuca, which is also called cassava or manioc, is a South American root vegetable. It’s an easy swap in for potatoes, and croquettes are no exception. Enyucados are made with mashed yuca, onion, garlic, and other spices, and a meat, egg, or vegetable filling of your choice. The croquette is fried until the outside is crispy.

10. Tamales

Photo: Julia-Bogdanova/Shutterstock

Costa Rican tamales are similar to the tamales found in Mexico. Each tamale is made with a mashed corn base that’s filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables. The main difference between the tamales in Costa Rica and those from farther north is that Costa Rica’s tamales are wrapped in a banana leaf rather than a corn husk. Tamales can be found year-round, but they’re especially popular around the holidays and family gatherings.

11. Olla de carne

This simple yet satisfying beef soup is made with rump roast, cilantro, peppers, onion, celery, garlic, plantains, corn, squash, potatoes, and yucca — though the exact ingredients vary depending on who is making it. It’s a restaurant staple, and the flavors only get better the longer it’s cooked.

12. Patacones

Photo: EQRoy/Shutterstock

Patacones are fried plantains, which are similar to bananas, but these are cooked before eating. Patacones are green plantains sliced into thick pieces, salted, and double fried. They’re a popular snack that can be found just about everywhere in Costa Rica, and it’s hard to eat just a couple.

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