At that time, ice cream was not available in the hot Puntarenas climate, and milk was not a keeper. Whatever form yours comes in, know that the Churchill has been the standard cool treat of Puntarenas for more than 60 years.Īs the story goes, the refreshment was born in the 1940s when comerciante (storekeeper) Joaquín Aguilar Esquivel wanted something more than just a drink. Churchills may be served in an ice cream dish in restaurants. Some add ice cream, and the fruit topping may differ. It was weird, but also unmistakably refreshing.Īlthough the Churchill is the official snack for Puntarenas, each shop has its own way of making it. It was sort of like a snowcone, but deluged with cream and fruit pieces. At the very bottom, there were chunks of ice. Digging deeper into the cup, I found powdered milk and then cola flavored syrup. There were sliced apples, pineapples, strawberries and grapes, all plump and sugary. I went in first with the spoon, gathering fruit from the top layer of condensed milk. I was given both a straw and a spoon, and left to figure out the rest. After just a few short minutes, my Churchill was ready. When it came my turn, I stepped up and watched as three young people worked an assembly line, which included plastic cups, shaved ice, fruit salad, a little of this and a little of that. The price here was about the same as the other stands, ₡2,500 ($5), and a small crowd of people waited in front of the truck. I stopped at one food truck, mainly because it advertised that if a customer didn’t like the goods, they’d be free of charge. Churchill’s apparently came in cups, and appeared to contain something with ice. But what in Costa Rica was a Churchill?ĭrawings on a few of the signs gave clues. On a recent trip to the port city of Puntarenas, I noticed a bunch of signs advertising “Churchills.” All along the Paseo de Turistas, restaurants and stands announced that their Churchills were the best in town.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |