On the Osa Peninsula, cacao plantations thrive in the humid, tropical environment. Cacao grows in pods on cacao trees, which can be found all over the peninsula. The cacao pods are harvested from the trees and then processed. The cacao is sometimes brought to chocolate factories, where it can be made into profitable chocolate. Not only is this product sold in gift stores and candy shops, like Samaritan Xocolata (1), but it is also a big component of the tourism industry. Businesses like Rancho Raices de Osa (2) offer chocolate tours, where tourists can watch the process of cacao being made in the factory and taste the fresh chocolates.
Another product of the Osa Peninsula is palm oil. Palm oil is an ingredient found in many food and beauty products, from Girl Scout cookies to shampoo. Palm trees are grown in palm oil plantations on the Osa Peninsula that, as shown in the image above, can be very expansive. The large seed clusters found underneath the leaves of the palms are harvested and processed into palm oil. While palm oil isn’t typically sold on its’ own, products containing palm oil can be found in nearly every store and restaurant (3). It can be used in place of vegetable oil, coconut oil, and other cooking oils. (Image: Palm oil plantation courtesy of Green Hawks Media)
A product that surprised me when doing research on the economy of Costa Rica is vanilla. When you’re eating your vanilla ice cream or buying vanilla extract from the grocery store, you oftentimes don’t consider where that flavoring came from. Vanilla is a vining plant that grows up the side of its host plant, as seen in the image above. The seed pods on the vine get harvested and processed into what we know as vanilla extract and vanilla flavoring. Something that interested me is that the vanilla plant is actually part of the orchid family (4). On the Osa Peninsula, vanilla can be sold in the form of vanilla extract or flavoring as a grocery item at markets or may be used in food or cosmetic products for its’ scent.
Unlike many of the other products to come out of Costa Rica, bananas do not require a lot of processing. Banana and plantain trees are grown all over the Osa peninsula, and the fruit is harvested and sold at grocery stores and markets, such as Verduleria El Mercadito (5). Bananas are also a major export for Costa Rica, which greatly contributes to the country’s economic success (6).
Coconut trees thrive in the tropical climate of the Osa Peninsula. The coconuts are harvested and can be sold in markets like Verduleria El Mercadito (5) whole, for their coconut milk, or, they can be processed for coconut oil, which is used in cooking and in cosmetics. The coconut oil is produced by taking the meat of the coconut and extracting its’ natural oils. Businesses like Osa Natural (7) use coconut oil in their products and sell globally online and locally in Costa Rica. It is said that coconut oil is excellent for hydrating skin and hair, and also can have beneficial properties in foods (Image: Coconut and coconut oil courtesy of Costa Rica Star News)
Citations
- Samaritan Xocolata – https://www.fodors.com/world/mexico-and-central-america/costa-rica/the-osa-peninsula-and-the-south-pacific/things-to-do/shopping/reviews/samaritan-xocolata-112833910
- Rancho Raices de Osa – https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g309284-d3174761-Reviews-Rancho_Raices_de_Osa-Puerto_Jimenez_Osa_Peninsula_Province_of_Puntarenas.html#REVIEWS
- Costa Rica Palm Oil Industry – https://uvmheadwaters.org/redefining-an-industry-costa-ricas-alternative-model-for-palm-production/
- Vanilla – https://osaconservation.org/unexpected-values-vanilla/
- Verduleria El Mercadito – https://www.facebook.com/Verduleria-El-Mercadito-1615094892041692/
- Bananas as a major export – https://www.britannica.com/place/Osa-Peninsula
- Osa Natural Coconut Oil – https://www.facebook.com/osanatural/