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TEFL Training In Costa Rica | Updated: 12/10/2022

5 Fruits You Must Try in Costa Rica

Written by International TEFL Academy Costa Rica

As you can imagine, the tropical fruit in Costa Rica is out of this world:  so fresh, sweet and affordable!  I've never had pineapple like Costa Rican pineapple, and the bananas, mangos and papaya are picked at the perfect moment and are free from damage of being shipped internationally!  But let me tell you, you can't miss these five unique fruits when you are with us in Costa Rica!

What are my options when shopping for food in Costa Rica?

1 - Guanábana (Soursop)

Native to the Americas and the Caribbean, guanábana smells similar to a pineapple but has a creamy texture and an extremely sweet flavor.  Some say it tastes like a combination of strawberries and apples with hints of citrus.  Guanábana can be quite large, up to 12 inches and weighing up to 15 pounds.  They are eaten as fresh fruit or blended with a bit of water to make a tasty drink.  You can find guanábana in all farmers markets, fruit stands and supermarkets.  Normally you can buy a smaller piece of if you aren't willing to commit to buying the whole thing. 


2 - Granadilla

From the same family as the passion fruit, granadillas are yellow or orange on the outside and are cut open or ripped open to reveal a gooey mix of seeds and pulp.  All of this goodness is eaten with a spoon, slurped out of the shell or added to fruit juices or smoothies.  Passion fruit is typically known for being tangy.  However, granadillas are quite sweet.  Although you'd need two or three to fill up, they make for a nice treat!  Hear me out, crunching the sweet seeds reminds me of the candy seeds on the watermelon Laffy Taffy from when we were kids.  Granadillas can be found at all fruit stands and supermarkets when in season. 


3 - Mamón Chino (Rambutan)

A relative of the lychee, mamón chino is an interesting-looking fruit known for being rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.  Peeling away the spiky red shell, you will get to the fleshy fruit that is similar to grapes in both taste and texture.  Depending on the particular variety you are able to find, the flesh may peel away nicely from the seed, while others  will need to be picked off.  Mamón chino is in season for just over half of the year, from April to October, and it can be purchased in any supermarket or fruit vendor. 

4 - Jocote (Spanish plum)

Jocotes are a small fruit that grow on a flowering plant in the cashew family.  Jocotes normally grow to be about an inch or two,  and the thin skin and flesh can be eaten when still green with a little bit of salt or ripe and sweet when the skin starts turning red.  They really are like mini mangos!  Jocotes are in season in August and September, and can be found anywhere fruit is sold, including out of the back of a truck on the side of the road. 


5-Manzana de agua (Water apple)

Not actually an apple, the manzana de agua is typically quite juicy, hence the English name "water apple."  Manzanas de agua are normally pear-shaped and have a waxy, deep red skin with white flesh on the inside.  The flavor is quite mild, the aroma is fragrant,  and the texture depends on the variety.  It can be crisp like an apple or softer like a pear due to all of the juice.  Manzanas de agua are eaten fresh , made into juices or even cooked in a sweet syrup for a nice dessert.


Honorable mention goes to guava, pitaya (Dragon Fruit) and uchuva (AKA fruta del amor).  Guava is normally made into tasty jellies, and the other two can be a little harder to find but worth the effort!

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