Rich culinary traditions of Panama were formed under the influence of several factors, among which the main role is played by the geographical position of the country and access to the two oceans. It is thanks to this that the markets of Panama are filled all year round with the freshest tropical fruits, fish and seafood. An important role was also played by the influence of cultures of Afro-Caribbean communities, Asians, Spaniards and indigenous people.
Features of national cuisine Panama
In Panama, as in all of Latin America, rice and beans are the main food products that have dozens of cooking methods. Other, especially significant products - cassava and bananas. Manioca, yellow tuber, fry or cook. Bananas also have many options for cooking: unripe bananas are fried in the form of chips, ripe cooked mashed potatoes, salt, fried with sugar.
In the rural areas of Panama, dishes from beef, chicken and pork are very common. In typical Caribbean restaurants, the most common dishes are fish and seafood with garlic sauce and dressing from tomato and onions. Sometimes dishes are served from tortoiseshell eggs, but it is better to refuse them, since the production of tortoiseshell eggs is illegal and many species of these reptiles are on the verge of extinction.
Dishes of Panamanian cuisine
Here are some traditional dishes of Panama that vividly characterize the national cuisine of this country:
- Gallo Pinto and Guacho de Rabito - national dishes that are prepared with rice and beans. These two dishes are also common in neighboring countries such as Panama, in Nicaragua.
- Hojaldras - typical breakfast food, roll of dough, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
- Guacho de marisco - delicious and aromatic soup with rice and seafood, which Panamans prefer.
- Pargo rojo frito - sea bass marinated in spices and fried entirely, served with fried bananas, rice with coconut and vegetables.
- Pollo sudado is a very simple and tasty dish, which is a chicken with vegetables.
- Ropa vieja con patacones is a very popular dish that has a long tradition of cooking and expresses the love of Panamanians to meat. It is prepared as steak or steak with tomatoes, onions and garlic and served with boiled white rice, like most Panamanian dishes.
- Sancocho - a traditional chicken broth with yams, cilantro, spices and unchanging delicious white rice. Recipes of this dish vary from province to province, but any Panama resident will say that this is the perfect remedy for a hangover.
- Bodichi - a bun with rice, wrapped in leaves of bihao.
- Bienmesabe - sweetness, which is the emblem of the country. Her cooking traditions came from Arab countries, but got their own shade in Panama.
- Carminaola is a cassava puree stuffed with egg and meat.
- Ceviche - snack from raw fish, pickled in lemon juice, with onion and pepper.
As a refreshing drink, there is nothing better than pipa, which is prepared from the juice of green coconut. Very common cocktails of tropical fruits with water or milk and sugar. From local beer brands, Balboa, Panam and Atlas are favorites. A stronger drink prepares from sugar cane - Seco. In restaurants, chilled drinking water is often served by lunchtime. Panama is one of the few countries where water is of excellent quality, and it can be drunk from the tap.