Mother’s Day in Costa Rica; “thinking inside the box” – Perez Zeledon

(Rosemary Sylvester Bradley / InsideCostaRica.com)

Mother’s Day in Costa Rica, Chocolate Style

August 15^th is Mother’s Day in Costa Rica, which is much more important here than in most countries. It is the day of the Virgin Mary’s Assumption into Heaven and a national holiday.  Ticos celebrate their moms lavishly.  Here’s a good idea for folks wishing to please and honor their madres – chocolate!

And as luck would have it, PZ has the premier chocolatier in CR – Rosemary Sylvester Bradley.  Bradley has been working with local indigenous cacao producers in a relationship which benefits both.  Bradley gets high-quality cacao for her chocolate factory, and gives back 5% to the Ngobe Indians who grow and harvest it.  Sweet!

What should you do to get hooked up?  You can order chocolates directly by sending an email to the Contact Section of:

www.chocoprisma.com or www.prismafoundation.org.  Chocoprisma is a nonprofit organization.  OR:

Buy these delicacies directly at:

San Isidro Valley Coffee in PZ or at the new BM Supermarket in Palmares.

In San Jose, find them at:  Food Factory in Plaza Choy, across from UCR San Pedro; at both sodas within UCR; or at Bean & Bejuco in Escazu.   OR:  call Chocoprisma at 506.2770.2002.

Chocoprisma has two new products which could make you yearn to be a Mother:  a new almond chocolate bar and a new macadamia chocolate bar, both in a new 100g size – smaller, less expensive, the perfect bite.

But wait, there’s more, Rosemary will soon release a documentary film about her chocolate process and factory made by  PZ film maker “Alien”.

And you thought just her chocolate was out of this world……

Thinking Inside the Box… Of Wine

Ahhh, Costa Rica, land of environmentalists and nature lovers who yearn to keep their little country beautiful and clean.  So how do we consume wines responsibly without littering, and which wines should we consume?  Here’s a brief guide to boxed wines available in Perez Zeledon and some good reasons to Drink Inside the Box.

Boxed wines are the result of a Swiss inventor, Ruben Rausing, who in 1963 invented the Tetra Brik, a package in the shape of a rectangular cuboid.  Eureka!  Here was a package which was shatter-proof, portable, and never allowed “cork taint”, that moldy flavor wine bottles sometimes develop.  Best of all, these cartons are more environmentally conscious since the total energy used to produce one box is 1/3 of the energy required to produce a glass bottle.  The cartons can be recycled and we are called the Switzerland of Central America, after all.

The following is a list of carton wines available in PZ, their country of origin and price. Salud!

A wine tasting that was held at the author’s house, chose the Grosso and Burgherrn as their favorites, so sample some of these carton creations this weekend, boxed Is beautiful!

Carol Vaughn

Carol Vaughn is an Inside Costa Rica Community Reporter covering Perez Zeledon.

Carol Vaughn holds a Master’s Degree in Performing Arts and is retired from a career as a tap dancer and teacher. She moved to Costa Rica two years ago from Washington, DC, and settled into a cabin on the banks of the Quebradas River in Perez Zeledon.

She also blogs for AngloINFO and is a volunteer Warden for the US Embassy for Perez Zeledon, helping out fellow Americans in emergencies.

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