I order a Tico style breakfast that consists of eggs, fried plantains, tortillas, Gallo Pinto and a strong cup of coffee.
Immediately after ordering my food, the waitress at the soda brings out three mugs of piping hot black coffee. The coffee is overwhelmingly bitter, and I have to add three large scoops of sugar. As I sip on my drink, I watch the cook prepare the food. She effortlessly cracks the eggs into a pan and fries the ripe plantains. She then carefully assembles our breakfast plates and places them in front of us with a smile. There on the plate sits the scrambled eggs, crispy slices of plantain, a mound of Gallo Pinto and three soft tortillas.
I dig into my meal, starting with the Gallo Pinto. I am surprised to find that a combination so simple is bursting with so much flavor. I clear my plate within minutes. The combination of foods in the Tico breakfast is very different than what I am used to, but it made for an extremely filling and tasty meal.
From watching the cook prepare my breakfast, I was able to assume that a Tico breakfast is pretty simple to make. The eggs are either scrambled or fried in a pan with a little bit of oil. The plantains are usually peeled, sliced and fried to a light crisp. The corn tortillas can be bought pre-made at the local grocery store, and they are gently warmed up on the stove. Additionally, most places brew fresh black coffee every day to serve with different meals. It is a small but very important part of the Costa Rican diet.
The Gallo Pinto is the most famous part of the Tico breakfast.
