Trits

Peel back the lid on a container of Trits ice cream, and you’ll first encounter a layer of crispy cookie. When your spoon cuts through the sweet, lightly salted coating, it’s like the satisfying first dip into a crème brûlée. But instead of custard, each cup of Trits contains vanilla ice cream lined with ribbons of chocolate syrup. Be warned: In Costa Rica, Trits are inexpensive, sold at just about every corner store and supermarket, and, according to vacationers and locals alike, pretty addictive.

The frozen treats are the perfect foil to the tropical heat, and their plastic tubs make them a handy, sand-proof accompaniment to a day at the beach. If you prefer your Trits as an ice cream sandwich, just pop open the lid, flip the tub upside-down, and catch the morsel in your hand. If you’d rather not hold a snack that starts melting almost immediately, the good news is that it’s already in a bowl. Just grab a spoon.