Panamanian cuisine is a mix of Spanish,Indigenous, and African techniques, dishes, and ingredients, reflecting its diverse population. SincePanama is a land bridge between two continents, it has a large variety of tropical fruits, vegetables and herbs that are used in native cooking.
Common ingredients in Panamanian food are maize, rice, wheat flour,plantains,yuca (cassava), beef,chicken, pork and seafood.[1][2]
Corn-based dishes come from the kernel, cooked in water and then ground in order to obtain a dough (as opposed to using corn flour to obtain the dough). Fresh corn is also used in some dishes. Due to the multicultural background of the Panamanians, many of its dishes are heavily influenced by the cuisine of other Latin American countries and also the Caribbean as well as European. Some of the main meals, dishes and specialties include:
Bollos – corn dough wrapped in nahuala palm leaves,[7] corn husk or plantain leaves and boiled. There are two main varieties: fresh corn bollos (bollos de maíz nuevo) and dry corn bollos. The dry corn type is sometimes flavored with butter, corn, or stuffed with beef, which is called bollo "preñado" (lit.'pregnant bollo'). Bollos have been described as a type oftamale.[8][9]
Carne entomatada
Carimañola – similar to an empanada, but made from yuca and stuffed with beef[1]
Empanadas – made either from flour or corn, and stuffed with meats and/or vegetables,[10] cheese, and sometimes sweet fillings, such as fruit marmalade or manjar blanco (dulce de leche).
Tortillas – these can be around ten to twelve inches in diameter (these are always cooked on a griddle), or smaller, around four inches (most of the time these are fried).
Torrejitas (Pastelitos) de maíz – A fresh corn fritter.
Tortilla Changa – a thick tortilla made out of fresh corn.
Tasajo – dried, sometimes smoked meat,[16] usually from beef though the word refers mainly to the mode of curing rather than the type of meat.
Traditional coffee drying at the Alto Boquete plant of Cafe Ruiz, Boquete, Panamá
In Panama there were bars that catered to local businessmen, tourists and gamblers and some that were frequented by US military personnel. The latter mostly had a reputation as "shot and beer" dives with unknown names. One of these bars, Kresch's Place, published a drink recipe book. Several of the drinks are named after bases, submarines, forts, ships and other military institutions. The "U.S.S. 44 Special" wasOld Tom gin,sloe gin and lime juice. The U.S.S. Mallard was aged rum (Panamanian, Venezuelan and Colombian), redvermouth,Bénédictine,absinthe,Angostura bitters garnished with lemon peel. The cover of the recipe book shows soldiers, sailors and an Army officer drinking.[22]
Fresh fruit juices (licuados orjugos naturales) –pineapple,passionfruit,papaya, orange,tree tomato, etc. are prepared by blending fresh fruit and straining; typically heavily sweetened and optionally with condensed milk added
Malteada – a malted eskimo-like milkshake without ice cream
The traditional Panamanian dish for Christmas usually includes chickentamales,arroz con pollo (rice with chicken),puerco asado,pernil,pavo (turkey), andrelleno (stuffing).[26] Bowls of fruits and fruitcake[26] are set out on the tables along with the dishes. Along with these foods and dessert, a traditional drink is served calledron ponche[24] (eggnog).
^abcdefgBaker, C.P.; Mingasson, G. (2007).Panama. National Geographic traveler. National Geographic Society. pp. 22–23.ISBN978-1-4262-0146-2. RetrievedOctober 17, 2018.
^Nevins, D.; Quek, L.; Hassig, S.M. (2016).Panama: Third Edition. Cultures of the World (Third Edition). Cavendish Square Publishing. p. 128.ISBN978-1-5026-2215-0. RetrievedOctober 17, 2018.
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