Before starting Selva Maya, Gabi first started working with bee hive conservation. Selva Maya was created to develop natural products that also do something about the situation around bees and their vulnerability. In a recent interview with HELPCA Costa Ballena, Gabi explains how Selva Maya naturally evolved: “One day I received a call from a CINAT professor, asking me if I was interested in placing Native Honey at my stand at the Fería where I used to distribute agroecologic

This week we are happy to hear about the opening of the UVITA Mercado so that many local artisans can once again have their booth at the market and we are looking forward to seeing them, smelling their products, enjoying their conversation and feel the experience we all love there. We also heard you and know not all of you can or want to go to the market. So we are happy to confirm that while we opened in a time of crisis HELPCA will continue bringing local producers to Costa

My name is Tonny Gracia Espinoza I am from Rio Claro de Golfito. I began to participate in the Pérez Zeledón fair with my father selling Mamones which was a season of 2 to 3 months during the year. Right after we started the pejiballes harvest which gave us 2 months more of work. Because we had no production and we were out of work and because the harvests are very short, I started looking for more products to continue working. Luckily, I found many people with a large quanti

Yucca is a starchy root vegetable, similar to a potato. This is another item that is cooked in every household in Costa Rica. Scott Alan ads a flavorful garlic sauce! Ingredients 1 1⁄2 lbs yucca root, halved & in chunks 1 teaspoon salt 1 lemon and 1⁄3 cup of juice 6 garlic cloves, mashed 1⁄2 cup olive oil 1 onion, chopped fine Direction Place yucca in saucepan; until yucca is just covered, add salt and lime juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tende

Jane Clem has been painting and drawing as long as she can remember, but took a 12 year break from her art-- save for a few birthday cards. It was Costa Rica’s natural beauty that inspired her to start painting again two and half years ago. “Of all the paintings I have completed since 2018, only 4 or 5 were not a Costa Rican theme.” She said in an interview with HELPCA Costa Ballena. Jane is also a locally commissioned artist. You might have seen Jane’s murals around Costa Ri

Healthy Baked Patacones, a healthy take on the classic fried Costa Rican patacones. Smashed plantains baked and served with a green herb sauce. You may realize this dish is how to start a very tropical culinary adventure on your own! Easy to make, and delicious! Very common and scrumptious treat in Costa Rica, and the Caribbean. INGREDIENTS Patacones 3 plantains 1/2 teaspoon oil Pinch of salt and pepper Green sauce 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1/3 cup cilantro 2 green onions, cho

First and foremost, we want to thank all of our HELPCA community for their support for the last 10 months of our operations. Together we supported over 70 farmers and artisans, fed 200 families in needs thanks to our partnership with Costa Ballena Disaster Relief and planted 500 trees in partnership with CloudBridge foundation. We started to respond to a crisis and it is time to evolve to make our service sustainable long term. 2021 started with the move to a more permanent

15 years ago, Amanda was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, IBS, MCS, and many allergies and sensitivities. What she COULD eat was very limited. She was not willing to accept eating a boring bland diet. Amanda loved being in the kitchen as long as she can remember. She has been helping her mom, grandma, and great grandma bake since she was a little girl! It was one of her favorite things to do with them. That time spent was so precious. They taught her how to make the yummy

A fresh and complete meal for sunny days. Different textures and flavors delighting your senses while you get an energy boost to enjoy outdoors family activities, sports or any other fun. For vegan option you can use any of our local brands of Vegan Cream Cheeses instead of cow cheese, boiled eggs for sacha inchi and also cook quinoa only with water. Ingredients ( Makes about 4 servings ) Chicken broth / 2 cups Quinoa / 1 cup Eggs / 4 units Coconut milk / 250 mls Sweet potato

It all started 5 years ago when Soraya's daughter Sasha and her husband Christopher invited her parents to visit the south of Costa Rica to consider the option to rent a hotel since Soraya's husband has been working in hospitality. When they arrived they fell in love with this beautiful paradise. During their stay, they visited Uvita on Saturday, and when they entered the feria there and met many passionate artisans and thought it was a beautiful way to share your passion. Sh

Our family currently favorite Vegan & gluten free summer snack. Also If going to the beach or anywhere in nature take it with you!! And have fun with this super tasty energizing food. Ingredients: ( Makes about 4 servings ) Smoothie Coconut milk / 250 mls Pineapple / 1 small unit Ice / as needed Honey / as needed Mini sandwiches / Crakers Flax seeds dehydrated crackers / 2 packages ( from happy friends) Tomatoes / 2 units Fresh basil / 1 roll ( from vegan chef ) Garlic / 4 c

If you need to substitute bread for something more healthy and substantial, we try to create a gluten free version of a roti, flatbread or naan depending on your use. We hope you enjoy it so much and discover a new option for a dish that is local and organic. You can create so many different meals with the same base: Breadfruit 🍈. Ingredients 2 cups Breadfruit all-purpose mix ¼ cup chickpea flour ½ cup corn starch 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp yuca starch ½ tsp salt ¼ cup coconu

Our “Summer” Season started and there is nothing better to enjoy and refresh ourselves with a fresh smoothie bowl with local produce! Lets fill our bodies with energy, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that tastes like Heaven!!! Ingredients: Coconut milk / 250 mls Avocado / 1 u Blackberries / ½ box Goyi berries / 30 grs Raspberries / ½ small box Chia seeds / 30 grs Sunflower seeds / 30 grs Pumpkin seeds / 30 grs Banana / 1 unit Directions: Freeze ¾ parts of the blackberries

The Holiday’s Spirit always calls us for baking together, spending time in the kitchen as a family. This desert can be saved in the fridge properly covered for…… as long as it last… ( usually not much ) :) . Its perfect to enjoy with a local organic Costa Rican coffee, a hot cocoa, or a Te Namaste but most important of all, enjoy with your family and friends. #CostaRica #Holidays #Deserts #ApplePie Ingredients Apples / 12 tico apples Honey / ½ cup Cinnamon powder / 3 tablespo

Sunny days are already here to stay! Lets share with family and friends with this super energetic and yummy fresh salad. #costarica #recipe #vegan #plantbased #buylocal #eatlocal Ingredients (Serves about 6 people ) Lettuce / 2 med u Arugula / 2 med u Uchuva / 2 boxes Red onions / 2 u Avocado / 2 u Strawberries / 1/2 k Chia seeds / 3 tbs Pumpkin seeds / 3 tbs Dehydrated coconut / 5 tbs Himalayan salt / as needed Cashew nuts / 1 cup Olive oil / 1/2 cup Garlic / 2 cloves Black

This meal is perfect for lunch, dinner or as a snack. To me the part that takes longer is the making of the tortillas, although we have amazing ones by our beautiful cook, so lets make this delicious meal with all fresh and artisan produce! #recipe #tacos #tuna #costarica #costaballena Ingredients (Serves about 12 units) Fresh tuna / ½ kilo ( is local and fresh) Onions / 5 med units Lettuce / 1 med unit Pineapple / 1 medium unit Uchuvas / 1 box Avocado / 2 units Himalayan sa

This version is a little bit like the traditional quiche but with a few personal touches. We added potatoes which makes it a complete meal including the carbs. No flours crust in this one. In case you want to take out the cheese, you can use nutritional yeast, mixed inside and also spreaded on top just like if you are using the cheese. It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare and about 25 minutes in the oven. Are you ready to try this spectacular baked good?, perfect at anyti

This term comes from the vegetable/root: yuca , or cassava. Its very popular on every “soda” or typical restaurant in Costa Rica. I have always Loved them sooooo much, but we don't cook fried items in our kitchen, neither buy them out. So this is our family version of them, they are baked instead of fried AND vegan & gluten free. I promise you the taste won't change much and they are absolutely delicious. Enjoy! Ingredients Makes about 12 units. Yuca / 2 kilos Coconut oil /

Blueberries are not exactly typical in our kitchens. They just recently started to be more planted in our farms and used in our recipes. After having blueberries pancakes since we started to get delivery for this gems through HELPCA, I wanted to bake something delicious with them and this is what we made in our kitchen. New Vegan dessert in our Kitchen Book with Helpca delights 🤎 Ingredients One medium loaf Fresh Blueberries / 1 cup ( 2 boxes , Valentín) Flour of your choice

In Costa Rica is part of the culinary tradition to make “rice pies”, one of the most popular ones is the heart of palm in bechamel sauce. If you haven't had the blessing yet to try one of these delicious baked goods then this is your opportunity to make one yourself. The recipe is gluten-free and you can choose if you want cow or goat cheese in it (of which ones we have Amaaaazing artisan providers in our platform) or the Vegan option which I like very very much as well. #co