Gallo pinto
 Gallo pinto served with cheese | |||||||
| Course | Breakfast, lunch, dinner | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of origin | Costa Rica and Nicaragua [1][2][3] | ||||||
| Region or state | Central America | ||||||
| Serving temperature | Hot | ||||||
| Main ingredients | Rice, beans | ||||||
| Variations | Regional variations | ||||||
| 200 kcal (840 kJ) | |||||||
| |||||||
Gallo pinto or gallopinto[4] is a traditional dish from Central America. Consisting of rice and beans as a base, gallo pinto has a long history and is important to Nicaraguan and Costa Rican identities and cultures, just as rice and beans variations are equally important in many Latin American cultures as well. It has similarities with the Cuban moros y cristianos dish. It is served with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The beans in gallo pinto are cooked with garlic, oregano and onion. When the bean juice is in equal parts with the beans, they are then combined with leftover or previously prepared rice. The rice is prepared with bell peppers, salt and onions.
Etymology
[edit]Gallo pinto means "spotted rooster" in Spanish. The name is said to originate in the multi-colored or speckled appearance that results from cooking the rice with black or red beans.[5] The term may also be shortened to simply "pinto" depending on the region.
History
[edit]It is uncertain and disputed which country is the precise origin of the dish.[6] Both Nicaragua and Costa Rica claim it as their own, and its origin is a controversial subject between the two countries.[1][2][5]
Gallo pinto is one of many various Latin American plates that involve the preparation of the most integral ingredients for many cultures: rice and beans. Gallo pinto is considered to be a product of mestizos; a combination of beans, cultivated by Indigenous people of pre-Columbian time, and rice, a grain introduced by the Spanish. [7] Rice, originally from Asia, was introduced by Arabs in Spain and became a main but versatile ingredient in the 15th and 16th centuries. With the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the Spanish introduced rice quickly to Mexico and South America. It is suggested that within the 18th century, the cultivation of rice became relevant to Central America. This occurred as well with beans, which were cultivated centuries prior in Mesoamerica.
Regional variations
[edit]Costa Rica
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In Costa Rica it is eaten with Lizano sauce.[5] Traditionally in home preparation the dish is made from leftover rice and beans from the previous day's meals.[8][9][10] There are two main regional variations: the Valle Central version, which usually prepared with black beans, peppers, onions, and cilantro, and often includes Lizano sauce in the recipe; and the Guanacaste version, which is usually prepared with red beans and is fattier.[5]
The dish is often eaten for breakfast, but can be eaten for other meals or for a snack.[5] As a breakfast dish it is often served with some combination of eggs, fried plantains, corn tortillas, fried cheese, meat and fruit.[9][11] It is often served as a side dish at lunch.[12]
Nicaragua
[edit]In Nicaragua, gallo pinto is traditionally prepared with red silk beans and onions, usually cooked in vegetable oil, although animal fats are occasionally used.[citation needed] It is often served garnished with pico de gallo and sour cream.
The dish is eaten at any time of the day. It is commonly sold in "fritangas" (food stalls), where it is served as a companion to various dishes.[citation needed] The dish is eaten any time.[5]
Panama
[edit]Guatemala
[edit]Contention
[edit]According to Costa Rica the dish dates to 1930s San Jose. According to Nicaragua it is based on a dish that was brought to the country by enslaved Africans much earlier.[5]
In 2003, the government of Costa Rica held an event at which nearly 1000 pounds of gallo pinto was cooked and served; the event was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. Nicaragua responded by preparing and serving 1200 pounds.[13] The competitions became an annual Gallo Pinto Day.[5] The competition between the two countries over ownership of the dish is sometimes referred to as the "Gallo Pinto War".[13]
Cultural importance
[edit]The dish is culturally important in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua.[5]
The dish is a national dish of Costa Rica and is the country's best known dish.[11][9] The phrase mas tico que el gallo pinto (more Costa Rican than spotted rooster) is a common saying in Costa Rica.[5] It is on the menu of most Costa Rican restaurants.[9] According to Costa Rican chef and food writer Isabel Campabadal, "If any one dish defines Costa Rican cuisine, it is gallo pinto".[12]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Gallo Pinto Recipe". www.nicaraguafood.org. Archived from the original on 2010-06-20.
- ^ a b "Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: Who Really Invented Gallo Pinto?". 7 November 2017.
- ^ "Gallo Pinto, Costa Rica's National Dish - Latin America Travel Company". 27 April 2017.
- ^ Royal Spanish Academy y Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (2014). «gallopinto». Diccionario de la lengua española (23.ª edición). Madrid: Spain. ISBN 978-84-670-4189-7. Consulted October 19, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ray, Ranita (30 January 2023). "Gallo Pinto, A Famed Vegetarian Dish! But Why The Rooster Link?". Slurrp. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ Preston-Werner, Theresa (2020-07-10). "Gallo Pinto: Tradition, Memory, and Identity in Costa Rican Foodways". Journal of American Folklore. 122.
- ^ Arellano, J. E. (n.d.). Nuevo Elogio de la Gastronomía Nicaragüense. https://www.enriquebolanos.org/media/publicacion/RevistaTemasNicaraguenses59marzo2013.pdf#page=76
- ^ Fernandez, Ileana (2023-08-31). "Gallo Pinto: A Secret Behind Costa Rica's Nicoya Blue Zone". The Tico Times. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ a b c d Bustos, Laura Williams (2023-08-18). "16 Tips For Dining In Costa Rica Like A Local". Tasting Table. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ Lopez, Jaime (2015-08-31). "The Afro Costa Rican Heritage of Gallo Pinto". Costa Rica Star News. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ a b González, Sofía (2020-11-11). "What to Eat at Costa Rica's Dazzling Mercado Central". Eater. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ a b Hines, Nickolaus (6 November 2020). "12 Classic Costa Rican Dishes That Exemplify Pura Vida". Matador Network. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ a b "Costa Rica Strikes Back in Gallo Pinto War". The Tico Times. 2005-01-14. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
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