Costa Ricans thanked the petulance of a neighboring dictator for an elegant revision of the national diet. It used to consist chiefly of beef. But Nicaragua’s Anastasio Somoza changed that. Wounded by Costa Rica’s hospitality to his political enemies, he closed the southern frontier to the export of cattle. His Costa Rican neighbors thereupon turned to sea turtle —a delicacy formerly earmarked for gourmets in the U.S.
This modification of the Costa Rican bill of fare has revived a small industry that was nearly killed off by the war. Now Costa Rican markets are selling some 20,000 pounds of turtle meat a week. At first the people of the highlands in the interior refused to touch the stuff. There was a rumor that turtle meat caused leprosy. But that rumor yielded to another: that turtle meat is an aphrodisiac.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- How the Economy is Doing in the Swing States
- Democrats Believe This Might Be An Abortion Election
- Our Guide to Voting in the 2024 Election
- Mel Robbins Will Make You Do It
- Why Vinegar Is So Good for You
- You Don’t Have to Dread the End of Daylight Saving
- The 20 Best Halloween TV Episodes of All Time
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Contact us at letters@time.com