Having grown up in Costa Rica, and having worked as a tour guide in Mexico - this is extremely true. People love the idea of authentic Costa Rican food, but for me growing up that meant beans and rice 5 dinners a week. It sounds fun and authentic - for meal one...

No one wants "real" food, that is for sure. We always try to stay and shop in residential neighborhoods when we travel, and if you look at what people have in their baskets, it is pretty boring. I would have gone insane in Puerto Rico eating mofongo (fried plantains, but very starchy) every day of the week, or beans and rice with plain tortillas in Mexico. Or dal (lentils) in India. But a lot of that is relative income, so I think it's more what people would eat if they could afford it. I just heard from a southern Indian colleague of mine that basmati rice is considered "too heavy" for daily consumption and is saved for special occasions. Most of the real highlight dishes in any cuisine are for feast meals, it seems.