The Most Delicious Dishes in Panama

Unfortunately, Panama is not known internationally for it’s cuisine. That’s a shame because the food is actually very delicious and made with fresh local ingredients and flavors.

Fresh ingredients are a keystone of Panama's cuisine

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what Panamanian cuisine is because like the Panamanian people, it is very diverse. Panamanians are a healthy mix of latinos, afro-antilleans, asians and indigenous. Of course, each ethnic group brings its own blend of spices, recipes, ingredients and cooking methods.

Along the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, the diet consists of mainly coconut, seafood, root vegetables, and tropical fruits. The Caribbean coast has mainly indigenous and afro-antillean communities. This lends to more traditional methods of cooking, such as over fire and with all natural ingredients. The afro-antillean influence has also brought in more spicy food in some areas.

The interior communities of Panamá are majority latino communities based in agriculture, so they enjoy mainly root vegetables, starchy fruits, livestock (cows and pigs), chicken, beans and rice. The style of cooking can also be rustic over an open fire, though typically they use propane gas-powered stoves. They tend to use more sauces and condiments as well.

Don’t be surprised to find very little green food in their diet. Maybe you will find some cilantro and that’s about it! They eat a lot of starches and have a tendency to prefer fried foods over boiled. They also don’t typically eat fresh fruit except for in a smoothie. It’s not exactly the “healthiest” cuisine (what really is ‘healthy’, anyway?), but please don’t let that stop you from enjoying it during your Spanish immersion program.

Here I’ll share with you the most traditional dishes for breakfast, snacks, lunch/dinner and drinks. If you are coming tostudy Spanish with us and stay with a host family, be prepared to be WELL fed!

BREAKFAST

Hojaldras (o-hal-dras)
(fried simple dough, not sweet)

Tortillas de maíz con queso fresco (tor-tee-yahs deh my-eez kohn kay-so fres-co)
(corn tortilla with bland locally-made white cheese on top)

Bollos (boh-yos)
(corn dough, traditionally rolled in a banana leaf, and boiled)

Patacones (pat-ah-cone-es)
(fried green plantain discs)

Carne o salchicha guisada (car-neh oh sal-chie-chah gih-sah-dah)
(beef strips or hotdog in a tomato sauce served with any of the above)

SNACKS & APPETIZERS

Platanitos (plah-tah-nee-toes)
(thin slices of fried plantain)

Yuca Frita(yew-ka
(fried yucca)

Orejitas (or-eh-heat-as)
(“little ears”, sweet buttery dough-light cookie)

Carimañola (ka-ri-mañola)
(fried meat pie of mashed yucca with meat and/or cheese inside)