Panama is among the most diverse countries in Latin America, largely due to its long history of foreign influence. And just like every other aspect of a nation’s culture, foreign influence can lead to radical changes to a nation’s gastronomical culture. Panamanian food today is a hodgepodge of several different gastronomical cultures, each offering their own unique flavors and techniques that make Panamanian food a very interesting adventure for the taste buds. And while Panama is not particularly renowned worldwide for its food, open-minded travellers in Panama will discover that the rich history of Panamanian culinary tradition makes eating Panamanian food a rewarding and enlightening experience.
It is difficult to pin down exactly what constitutes Panamanian food precisely because of its complex history and because it varies quite a bit in different regions of the country. The coastal areas of Panama eat very different cuisine than the interior communities of the country. And even within these very broad divisions, there are regional differences in culinary culture that make it hard to pin down just what we mean when we say “Panamanian food”. However, in this article I will attempt to simplify the complex history of Panamanian food culture and identify the four major ethnic groups and cultures that have influenced most of what is eaten in Panama today:
Native American Traditional Food
Before European colonization, the region that is known today as Panama was inhabited primarily by the Chobchan, Chocoan, and Cueva peoples. These people fed themselves mostly by hunting wild animals and gathering plants, and fruits. They also were known to have grown their own corn, cacao, and root crops. While these societies did not have interaction with other societies and cultures anywhere near what we have today, they were documented to have established trade routes connecting them with other societies on the continent, which would have enabled them to have access to foods that they could not find or grow locally. Many of the foods that Panamanians eat today has been passed down through generations from these Native American communities. Here are some dishes that are still widely popular today that are remnants of Native American food culture:
Tortillas de maíz - This simple dish is basically made from mixing cornmeal and water to make a dough that is then flattened into disc-shaped tortillas which are cooked until crispy. Panamanian tortillas are much thicker and more cake-like than Mexican tortillas. Tortillas de maíz date back to the indigenous societies of Panama and would have been made by hand from harvested corn, but today they can be bought in nearly any supermarket in Panama. This dish is often served with Panama’s traditional queso blanco, a bland white cheese which is typically made by local farmers.
Tamales - Nearly every country in Central and South America has some version of this dish, and Panama is no exception. Tamales are corn dough wrapped around chicken, beef, vegetables, or some combination of the three. Panamanian tamales are typically wrapped in a banana leaf and cooked, which prevents the tamale from being burned by the fire and helps to hold in all that juicy delicious flavor. Making tamales is very labor-intensive and can take a long time, so they are often reserved for holidays.
European/Spanish Food
In 1502, Christopher Columbus landed in Panama and explored the regions which are now known as Bocas del Toro, Veragua, Portobelo, and the Chagres River. Eight years later, in 1510, Vasco Núñez de Balboa made an expedition to Panama in which he verified that there was a coast on the Pacific side of Panama. He was the first known European to have seen the Pacific Ocean. In 1519, Pedrarias Davila established the first Spanish colony in Panama, after which Panama was held under the rule of the Spanish crown for over 300 years. Over this time period, Panamanian culture blended with the culture of their colonizers and Panamanian culinary culture, among many other things, was changed forever. Many of the foods that are found in Panama today are heavily influenced by the dishes brought over by the Spanish, who brought a multitude of new spices and cooking techniques to the region. Here are some of the dishes that exhibit Spanish influence on Panamanian food:
Ropa Vieja - This dish consists of shredded beef cooked in a base of tomato, onion, and garlic. Ropa vieja often incorporates a range of spices that were introduced to Panama during the period of Spanish colonization, such as paprika, oregano, and coriander. The beef is often then cooked with chopped peppers, onions, tomatoes, and olives. An example of mixing two different food cultures in modern Panamanian cuisine, ropa vieja is often eaten with patacones, which are made from twice-fried green plantains, a fruit that is found nowhere in Europe.
Carne Guisada - While this dish is a truly great example of the many different cultures that have influenced Panamanian cooking, as it includes aspects of Asian, European, Caribbean, and other culinary traditions, there is certainly strong evidence of Spanish influence in this dish. Carne guisada consists of beef stewed in a tomato sauce with some combination of vegetables. Often, this dish includes the use of red wine and spices such as basil and oregano, which are all pretty clear indications that Spanish cooking techniques had some influence on the origin of this dish. This dish is typically served with rice, which is great for mixing into the stew or spooning the stew onto.
Afro-Panamanian Food
Panama has a long and unfortunate history of slavery which began in the colonial era when slaves were taken from West Africa and relocated to Panama, mostly to work as domestic servants. Another wave of slaves were brought over from the West Indies in the mid-nineteenth century to aid in the construction of the Panama Canal. With them, these slaves brought over a Caribbean and African influenced culinary culture that introduced a new dimension to Panamanian cooking which continues to be visible in Panamanian dishes today, especially in the coastal areas of Panama. The descendants of many of the slaves that were forced to immigrate to Panama still live in the country, and enrich its culture by keeping the culinary tradition of their ancestors alive. Here are some dishes that are strongly influenced by the Caribbean and African cooking styles of the Afro-Panamanian:
Roast Breadfruit and Saltfish - Breadfruit is a starchy fruit that was introduced to the Caribbean islands by British and French navigators. It has since become a main staple of Caribbean cuisine. Saltfish is white fish, typically cod, that is dried and salted. Preparing this dish involves roasting the breadfruit with the skin still on, then removing the skin once cooked, and dressing the roasted fruit with a sauce made from boiled saltfish and a variety of vegetables and spices. One important ingredient of this dish that is very popular in the West Indies is roucou, which is made from the seeds of the achiote tree.
Sao - This dish, consisting of pickled pig’s feet and slices of cucumber and onion, may seem quite strange to those of us who are less familiar with Caribbean cooking, but it is quite popular especially in the coastal areas of Panama. This dish is made by boiling pig’s feet and pickling them overnight in vinegar and lemon juice with onions and cucumbers. Sao is often enjoyed at parties in Panama because its salty flavor pairs great with a bottle of Balboa, one of Panama’s most popular beers.
Chinese Food
The Panamanian population has a large sector of people descended from the Chinese laborers hired to help build the Panama Canal. Today, as any Panamanian will tell you, the large majority of the country’s supermarkets are Chinese-owned. Most of the ethnically-Chinese people who live in this country are here because their ancestors were hired to dig the Panama Canal, and then ended up settling permanently. Due to the great number of ethnically-Chinese living in Panama, Panamanian food has been noticeably influenced by Chinese cooking. Chinese restaurants can be found all over the larger cities of Panama, as can Chinese street foods, and soy sauce (called “salsa china” in Panama) has snuck its way into Panamanian recipes where you would not usually suspect it. Here are some common foods you can find almost anywhere in Panama that are results of Chinese influence:
Jampao - This is the Panamanian name for the steamed buns that you would expect to see being sold from a cart on the streets of Beijing. However, this dish can be found nearly anywhere in Panama, and not just at Chinese restaurants. Go to any supermarket in Panama and they will most likely have jampao sitting under a heat lamp waiting for you to eat. This dish is usually made by steaming basic yeast-and-flour dough filled with either meat, vegetables, or both. Occasionally, you can find sweet versions of jampao filled with pineapple or tamarind.
Shumai - Another food that was brought along with the wave of Chinese immigration is shumai, steamed dumplings with a filling that typically consists of a mixture of ground pork and shrimp. This food, like jampao, can be found almost anywhere in Panama. Often, you can go into a supermarket, and leave with a plastic cup filled with several shumai and a toothpick to eat them with. These snacks are enjoyed by ethnically-Chinese and ethnically-Panamanian people alike.
Panama’s complex history has led to a Panamanian food culture that is equally complex. It is impossible to pinpoint the exact times when these separate food cultures fused together; however, the resulting gastronomy of Panama is unique, interesting, and absolutely delicious! If you plan on travelling through Panama, make sure you try some local food!
If you plan on travelling through Panama City, check out this article on the best 10 restaurants in town: