Panamanian Cuisine!

One of the best parts of this cultural immersion is the opportunity to try the traditional foods!



Empanadas – Empanadas are a delicious side dish.  They have flour shells and can be filled with different meats like beef and chicken as well as vegetables like potatoes.

Inside of a beef empanada

Empanada de Dulce - this is a dessert empanada filled with sweet pineapple sauce and coated in sugar.

Carne de Lata (Tuli) y Arroz – The meat is thinly sliced ham that has been fried.  It’s served with the traditional white rice.

Espaguetis, Carne, Papas, y Un Platano Maduro – You’ll probably recognize the spaghetti pasta in a typical tomato sauce; however, the other items with it are a bit unfamiliar to most.  On top of the pasta is a couple of pieces of chicken.  The white mixture above the pasta is a type of potato salad made with potatoes, carrots, peas, and lots of mayonnaise.  And finally, next to the chicken is what’s called a “platano maduro.”  Basically, it’s a sliced banana sauteed in oil – a very delicious and unique taste!

Emparedado – An emparedado is a type of sandwich melt.  This particular emparedado has ham and cheese.

Pollo Asado y Papas Llenas de Queso – Pollo asado is simply roast chicken; however, it comes in a slightly different manner than what we are accustomed to in the United States.  Almost the entire chicken is served - that includes all those tiny bones.  And, papas llenas de queso is exactly what is translates as: potatoes filled with cheese.

Pollo y Yucca – While in Santiago, I got the opportunity to attend a small birthday party for family and close friends.  Basically, it was a barbecue outside.  (The next few pictures are all different party foods.)  The chicken was cooked on a charcoal grill much like in the US.  But, instead of serving it with potatoes or something similar, it was accompanied by cooked yucca.  Yucca (Cassava root) is a major carbohydrates staple in tropical countries.  It’s very starchy and is essentially a tropical potato.

Chorizo – Chorizo is a spicy type of sausage.

Dip de Tuna – This is one of many different types of typically made in a more tropical nation like Panama.  It consists of tuna, corn, mayonnaise, onion, and lemon criollo.  (Criollo simply means that it is native to Panama.  In this case, the lemons are much smaller and used in a lot of recipes to add a little flavor.)  My host mother was explaining to me that while we oftentimes use chips for our dips in the US, they use crackers like the saltine cracker in the photo.

Sopa de Carne – This is a soup that I’ve seen served with a variety of meals in Panama.  It’s a broth with chunks of potatoes, corn (still on the cob), and steak meat.

Minestra – Minestra is primarily a bean broth with a few other vegetables that is usually drizzled on top of white rice.

Carne y Bollo Frito – The meat is typical steak meat.  However, cow meat is much tougher here because the animals are primarily used for work, therefore making the meat more muscular – a definite difference from the US.  Bollo frito is actually a cornmeal product.  The kernels are removed from the cob, mixed together into a smooth paste-like substance, and then fried.

Patacones – Patacones are a side dish served very frequently in Panama.  They are made from plantains and you start by slicing the plantain.  Then, it is compressed and fried in boiling oil two times.  After that, just add some salt.  Some people prefer their patacones plain but many others eat them with ketchup, like french-fries.