Costa Rican Tuna Salad

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Costa Rican tuna salad combines some of the best tuna fish in the world and mayonnaise. It is eaten on top of soda crackers.

About Costa Rican Tuna Fish Salad

If you haven’t had tuna and crackers in Costa Rica, you haven’t lived a true “tico” experience. I’ll never forget the first time I had tuna salad in Costa Rica. It was on Drake Bay with some friends. We hadn’t had lunch until late, and I was starving. Usually I’m not at all a fan of canned tuna, I ate it with white rice and fell in love. It was so fresh and flavorful that I’ve been addicted ever since.

Costa Rican tuna fish salad, otherwise known as atun con sodas is one of the most popular foods among Costa Ricans. And I can tell you from lots of experience that the Costa Rican canned tuna is some of the best in the world.

There are several reasons for this. The first is that the canned tuna lasts practically forever in any type of climate, making it an easy food to have on hand.

The second reason is that it’s easy to travel with tuna and crackers, making a quick snack or meal on the go.

The third reason is that it’s relatively cheap to buy and it’s sold everywhere. If you find yourself hungry and in need of a high-protein snack, it’s almost guaranteed the closest grocery store or pulperia has tuna on hand.

Related post: 30+ Foods To Try In Costa Rica

History of Tuna Salad in Costa Rica

Tuna fish has been around as canned food, and because the tuna is freshly caught on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, it’s canned almost immediately.

There is canned tuna in oil, in water, with mixed vegetables, and even with jalapeno.

For the longest time, Costa Ricans would have to use a knife to open the can because can openers were not readily available. they would stick a large knife into the metal top or bottom, and then pry as much of the top off as necessary to get the tuna out.

Today, the easy-open cans make opening and enjoying tuna much more practical. Tuna salad is now a popular food for at the beach, a quick dinner, or even a snack on the road.

The tuna salad is served with the widely popular brand of saltine crackers, called galletas soda, made by the national brand Pozuelo.

Tuna and Soda Crackers Recipe

Printable recipe below

Ingredients

• Costa Rican tuna
• mayonnaise
• saltine crackers

Instructions

Open and drain your Costa Rican tuna. You can wash it out if you want to remove excess oil.

In a separate small bowl, add mayonnaise and stir well.

Place about a tablespoon of the tuna salad on a single saltine cracker. Repeat until all of the tuna has been used.

Related post:

Substitutions

You can substitute Miracle Whip for the mayonnaise if you prefer.

You can really serve the tuna fish on type of crackers. I also like to eat this on toast, or as a sandwich between two slices of bread.

Variations

There are so many variations! Here are a few:

• Use chimichurri in place of the mayonaise
• Use Salsa Lizano in place of the mayonaise
• Add a chopped hard boiled egg into the mix
• Serve the tuna plain
• You could even use the tuna in place of shredded beef or shredded chicken on a plate of homeamade Costa Rican nachos.

Related post: Costa Rican Appetizers You’ll Love

What To Seve With Tuna and Crackers

The only thing Costa Ricans love more than tuna and crackers is tuna and white rice.

Serve with Costa Rican white rice, and even a side of black beans if you want. This dish is NOT typically served with a lunch casado.

Related post: Tons of Easy and Delicious Foods To Eat With Rice

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