Churchill coloso
It’s fitting that the typical treat of hot, humid Puntarenas is granizado. Vendors push their carts up and down the Paseo de los Turistas offering this refreshing treat which consists of shaved ice and red syrup. As added toppings you sometimes have the choice between condensed milk, powdered milk, and fresh fruit. But the region’s signature food is best sampled in one of the many eateries that advertise Churchill Coloso. This is the mother of all snow cones: layers of shaved ice, red syrup, powdered milk, vanilla ice cream, and condensed milk. The descriptor “coloso” (colossal) in its name is understood: The tall glass is so full that the condensed milk is actually served on the side. To understand “Churchill” you need to imagine Puntarenas in the 1950s. Picture a foreigner, stocky and bald in appearance, with a loud and commanding voice, who approaches a kiosk and orders a granizado with every available topping in the menu. Costa Ricans, who love to assign nicknames that describe a person’s appearance (Fosforito if he’s skinny, Gonzo if he has a big “muppet” nose) call this gentleman Churchill. Every day, Churchill comes back and orders his special snow cone. Soon, the menu of every kiosk in Puntarenas offers a “churchill” and in more recent supersize times, a “churchill coloso.” Everyone will tell you that if you visit Puntarenas you must do two things: stroll down Paseo de los Turistas and eat a churchill. Better yet, first eat a churchill, then stroll down the avenue. Good luck burning all the calories.
Saturday, March 21, 2009