If you spend any time in Costa Rica, you'll see it on every table — a little tan bottle of Salsa Lizano. Ticos put it on just about everything, and most visitors fall in love with it before their trip is over. So what exactly is it, and why is it such a big deal? Here's the short answer from your private chef in Jacó at www.jacobeachchef.com.
What is Salsa Lizano?
Salsa Lizano is Costa Rica's beloved national condiment — a thin, light-brown sauce that's mild, tangy and a little sweet. Think of it as a cousin to Worcestershire or a British brown sauce, but gentler and more aromatic. It's vegetable-based, with a blend that commonly includes vinegar, sugar, salt, onion, carrot, cauliflower, cucumber and warm spices like cumin, black pepper, mustard and turmeric (which gives it that golden-brown color). The exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, but the label says it all — "de vegetales y condimentos naturales" (made from natural vegetables and seasonings) — and it's gluten-free and naturally vegetarian-friendly.
A sauce with a century of history
Lizano dates all the way back to 1920, born in the province of Alajuela and named for the company that first bottled it. Over the decades it grew from a local table sauce into a household staple found in virtually every Costa Rican kitchen, and the brand is now owned by Unilever. For Ticos, it's more than a condiment — it's a taste of home and a point of national pride.
Why it's so famous: gallo pinto
If there's one reason Lizano is legendary, it's gallo pinto — Costa Rica's national breakfast of rice and beans. Lizano is the secret ingredient that gives gallo pinto its signature savory-sweet flavor; ask any Tico and they'll tell you it simply isn't the same without it. But it hardly stops at breakfast. Costa Ricans splash Lizano on meats and chicken, stir it into soups, marinades and sauces, and keep a bottle on the table to finish almost any dish.
How your chef uses it
When you book a private chef in Jacó, a little Costa Rican soul comes with the meal. We love weaving authentic local flavor into your villa dinners — a proper gallo pinto at breakfast, Lizano-kissed marinades on fresh Pacific fish and meats, and the real tastes that make a trip to Costa Rica memorable. If you want to try it like a Tico, just ask, and we'll build it into your menu. (Curious about more local flavor? See our guide to Costa Rica's signature Chili Guaro shot.)
Take a bottle home
Here's our tip: before you fly home, grab a bottle (or three) of Lizano at the grocery store — it's inexpensive, travels well, and it's the easiest way to bring a taste of Costa Rica back with you. And while you're here, let us cook the real thing at your villa. Plan your menu at www.jacobeachchef.com.