|
If you are invited to a
Panamanian home, many hostesses will make a point to serve
traditional dishes so you can appreciate their country's
cuisine. Food is always a good ambassador.
Although Panamanian recipes bear resemblances to those of
Central American countries they differ greatly in their
preparation and ingredients and have a flavor you will taste
nowhere else.
Panama has a
rich tradition in the culinary arts. Due to its location the
country is home to a vast array of fresh and tasty fruits,
herbs and vegetables. Combine this with influences from the
Native Indians, Europeans and other Latin American countries
and you have some great food in Panama!
There is no way to describe all of the great food found
in Panama, so we will highlight some of the more popular local dishes. Most local dishes are prepared
with corn, manioc, plantains, a number root vegetables such as
yam and otoe, often used in soups, green vegetables, beans,
fish and sea-food, meats (pork, beef) poultry and a
predominance of "culantro", a locally-grown herb which
is a distant cousin of parsley, coriander and celery but with
its own strong and individual taste and odor. Without
exaggeration we can say that in Panama, culantro is as basic
as ingredients as salt and pepper.
Here is a list of Panamanian
specialties. It is not an exhaustive list. Most
restaurants will put in their menu as entree a typical dish
called "sancocho" - chicken soup flavored with
culantro- and occasionally several other specialties we detail
further on.
PATACONES: green
plantain mashed and fried served as appetizers or like french
fries to accompany meals.
TAJADAS (Platano
Maduro): This is something you will see as a side on
many dishes throughout Panama. A plantain looks like a banana.
It is cut in small slices and then fried. The flavor is sweet
and is a nice addition to any meal. Ripe
plantain sliced lengthwise and fried served as a complement to
meals. It is sweet and often confused with a
dessert.
PLATANOS EN
TENTACION: can be made with
ripe plantains or bananas cut lengthwise and baked or broiled
with plenty of butter and brown sugar with a sprinkle of
cinnamon, sometimes with nutmeg or cheese. It has
to be eaten hot and served to accompany a main
course.
CARIMANOLAS: This is a roll made from a
type of tropical yucca (manioc)-based dough with an oval
sausage shape, filled with meat and fried. It
is eaten hot as a snack or with
meals. Also called "enyucados".
Hojaldras(HOJALDRES): fried flour tortilla served for
breakfast. These are commonly referred to as Panamanian
Doughnuts. Essentially there are dough that is deep fried and
then could be covered with sugar on top. A sweet snack to
start off your day.
YUCA FRITA: manioc boiled and fried, may replace French
fries.
EMPANADAS: corn turnovers filled with ground meat and
fried. It can also be made of flour and
baked. Served as snack or
appetizer.
TORTILLAS DE
MAIZ: corn tortilla fried and
served for breakfast, snacks or with meals. In the
countryside it usually replaces a serving of
bread.
TAMAL: cornmeal stuffed with pork or chicken and
some vegetables, in a square shape in banana leaves
and broiled. Different from what is found in Mexico, the
Panamanian tamale is wrapped in banana leaf and boiled. The
leaf and the boiling create a different flavor that is pretty
good. If you like a Mexican tamale, you will like the
variation of a tamale that you can find in Panama. La Chorrera, a small town 30 kms. from
Panama City is famous for its giant-size tamales to which hot
sauce and pasas (raisins) are added.
 
TAMAL DE OLLA: same as a tamal but baked and served as a
pie.
BOLLO DE MAIZ
NUEVO: young cornmeal dough
boiled in its own leaves.
BOLLO DE MAIZ PREÑADO: young cornmeal dough filled with ground meat and
boiled in its leaves. It is also a specialty of La
Chorrera.
CHICHEME: beverage made of cornmeal cooked with water,
sugar and cinnamon. "Chicheme Chorrerano" is very
popular and well known throughout the
country.
CHICHA: cold
fruit juices with sugar and water.
TASAJO: sun-dried meat cooked with
vegetables.
SANCOCHO: the
country's national dish and an entire meal in
itself. Chicken is cooked in pieces and simmered in
water, vegetables, plantains, manioc, otoe, corn, yam and
flavored with a lot of culantro. Ingredients may
differ slightly according to the region. Served
with white rice and hot sauce. If you are looking for a
typical dish, Sancocho could be it. Found everywhere in
Panama, depending on who is cooking it other ingredients in
the soup can vary.
ARROZ CON POLLO: chicken cooked with vegetables, then boned and
mixed with rice. Practically every Latin American
country rates it among the favorite dishes but rice and
chicken are about all they have in common.
GALLO PINTO: red pinto beans cooked with pork and then mixed
with rice and fried.
GUACHO: heavy
soup with rice and beans cooked with pork or
seafood.
ARROZ CON
GUANDU: rice cooked in coconut
milk with pigeon peas. Probably the most common side
dish seen in Panama. Essentially rice is cooked with beans and
other spices to create a great tasting rice dish. You may see
this side dish served at any and all meals. There are many
variations as to other ingredients that can be added to this
Panamanian staple.
FUFU: a
typical dish from the province of Bocas del Toro and the
northern coast. Fried fish cooked in coconut milk
with plantains, manioc, yam. Served with a lot of
hot sauce.
SARIL: beverage made of sorrell. The bright
red crisp "petals"-calyces surrounding the seed- are boiled in
water, brown sugar with grated ginger root and
strained. Served very cold with
ice.
MONDONGO: tripe prepared with vegetables, peas and
tomatoes. Served with white rice and hot
sauce.
CEVICHE: raw
fish marinated with lime, onions and hot
chili. Served as appetizer, Ceviche is a very
common appetizer found throughout Panama. Typically corvina is
chopped up and added to lemon juice and other spices. The
acidic content of the lemon actually "cooks" the corvina to
create a nice tangy taste. Very popular.
SAOS: of
Jamaican origin but widely eaten as an appetizer through-out
the country. Pig or cow's feet cooked and marinated
in lime, onion with hot chili
peppers.
Sea Food: Due to
its strategic location, Panama has some excellent sea food.
Fish is brought in from both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
The variety is amazing. It seems that most restaurants offer
some type of sea food in Panama.
 
Fruits Beverages
More recipes.
More recipes.
Recetas Panameñas.
Ceviche
Recipes
Plantain
Recipes
Mango
Recipes
What's Cooking
Panama?
|
