Traditional Costa Rican Cooking

Learn from the pros! A tour idea that was born from a need to cater to volunteer groups in the community, three women came together to create cooking classes.

They offer the opportunity to learn how to make either a traditional Costa Rican mid-day snack or entire meal, depending on the student's desires. The food is native to the region of the Osa Peninsula, made with fresh ingredients from local farms.

Duration: 2-2.5 hours
*Tour given in Spanish. A translator can be hired at an additional cost.
For Reservations or More Information:
Jessica Roldan  (506) 8667-2535
                         [email protected]

Our History

​Traditionally the women of Rancho Quemado have an excellent reputation for their talents in the kitchen, through the years in communal and sports activities, the taste of their meals was made known inside and outside the community.
In 2015 with the increasing reception of foreign visitors, during a community meeting with the ADIRQ , arose the opportunity for some ladies to provide the service of cooking classes within their homes. The idea  is to have 3 to be able to distribute the groups and make the experience more enjoyable. Then, the following ladies are offered:
  • Doña Juana Jiménez, courageous woman, pioneer of the community, elderly widow, mother of 5 adult children, who enjoys being able to teach how to prepare delicious peasant meals, just as she did for her family while she raised them.
  • Odili Landero is a woman of Nicaraguan origin who with her husband and 2 children made her home in Rancho Quemado, she likes to cook and teach recipes prepared with natural ingredients and lots of love.
  • Grinzel Ureña, young mother of 4 small children, dynamic and enthusiastic, enjoys learning about cultures and sharing experiences with visitors.
Among the initial challenges they had, are the language and strive to make visitors feel at home while they run the class since they had never received foreigners in their homes before. The goal has been to complement the income of their families, and has been very important to empower themselves as women.