Our Daily Bread (and Coffee!)
January 19, 2009
I grew up in Costa Rica, and lived there again recently for a year. Most of my family is still there. Costa Rica has so many wonderful things; I cannot possibly fit them all in this one entry. So I will tell you about one little custom I especially love: coffee time, or cafecito, as we call it there.
Cafecito takes place somewhere between 2 p.m and 6 p.m., every day without exception. Even the kids, most of whom don’t drink coffee, are included in the ritual. During this time it is customary to serve freshly baked bread and anything that might go with it: butter, local cheeses, guava jelly, and any other thing you have on hand. Because of this, most little towns and villages, like the one where we lived, have their own bakery, or panaderia. We could always find bread, pastries, coffee and milk. The most delicious, enormous baguettes were two for $1. You just can’t beat that!
Most days I had my daily bread and coffee with my family. But it was not unusual to be invited to have coffee with any number of friends or distant relatives. For that matter, it was just as common for friends to drop in during coffee time, entirely uninvited, and with bread in hand. Cafecito lasted until the last person left. It was a daily, sometimes impromptu reunion with family and friends. No wonder they stay so close and connected (and I don’t mean that in a Facebook sense).
Our daily bread had been made from scratch by the local baker. Our 100% Arabica coffee was grown in the fertile flanks of nearby volcanoes. With every bite and every sip we felt more connected to the land, and the people who live and work on it. Our daily bread and coffee kept us grounded in a comforting, intoxicating life. You can bet I was always thankful for my daily bread.
If you have been to Costa Rica, what was your favorite thing? If not, you are overdue for a visit!
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We definitely loved cafecito, and we also enjoyed touring the Cafe Britt coffee plantation (above) — it was educational, fun, and delicious! Visiting the panaderÃas and fruit stands was also quite fun, and a good way to feel connected to the earth and to the people. I also loved seeing the places that were special to my friends… where they grew up, spent summers, etc.
We found it extremely therapeutic to sit in the natural hot springs at Tabacón at night while watching the lava flow down Volcán Arenal. And seeing the wildlife up-close, everywhere we went, is something I will never forget.
I can’t wait to go back and visit and do it all again! –A