It is meant to be used while cooking or at tableside to flavor one's food when serving. It is slightly sweet and acidic, with a hint of spiciness lent by black pepper and cumin.
Many Costa Rican dishes are prepared with Lizano sauce, and it is ubiquitous on restaurant tables in its country of origin. It is commonly used with gallo pinto and tamales, and is also considered particularly complementary with eggs, rice, beans, fish, cheese, curries, and as a marinade for meat.
Lizano sauce is increasingly available commercially throughout North America through online retailers.
The sauce was created initially by Próspero Jiménez in his bar in Alajuela. After success with the neighbors and acknowledging the success of imported bottled condiments, he approached Próspero Lizano who owned a factory, and then they established the brand and the green label for marketing. In 1991 Best Foods bought the company, and later were acquired by Unilever. In 2020, the condiment celebrated its 100th anniversary.[2][3]
^Madrid, Laura (16 February 2003). "Señora salsa". La Nación. Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
^González Ulloa, Rodolfo. "La mano detrás de la Salsa Lizano" [The hand behind Lizano Sauce]. El Financiero & Capital Financiero (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2021 – via elfinancierocr.com.
