Ancestral Foods Guanacaste Face Extinction in Costa Rica

Culinary Heritage & Cultural Investment

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—Cultural decree. Maize and Guanacastecan corn culture are legally recognised as Cultural Heritage of Costa Rica.

—Core ingredient. Native varieties like maíz pujagua (purple corn) and Congo corn anchor the region’s ancestral foods, distinct from industrial yellow imports.

—Institutional push. The Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCJ) and the University of Costa Rica (UCR) lead audiovisual and documentary projects to document traditional recipes.