Food is one of the basic needs of human being. Without food we don’t survive. That’s why many people are trying to cook different kind of taste to make the meal more scrumptious and delightful. In Panama they are quite similar to other Latin American countries but not on spicy foods. Because of mixed cultures influenced by Afro-carribean, American, Spanish and other indigenous people its cuisines were classified as simple to exotic. Panama is abundant in food, mostly tropical fruit, vegetables, sea foods and herbs. Corn in many forms is widely used in Panamanian cuisine like tortillas, tamales and pupusa. Seafood dishes like fish and sea shells is one of their specialties.
Here are some famous Panama foods from simple to ultra-exotic cuisines.
Tortilla Espanola is one of the most famous breakfast meal in Panama. This cuisine was prepossess by Spanish. Mix with potatoes, eggs, onions and salt. This is easy to cook and a delicious and nutritious meal perfect for breakfast. Here’s another perfect dessert after meal, the Boquete strawberries. It is found in Boquette Valley a very pristine town which is also famous for its strawberries. Boquete strawberries is served differently mostly with chocolates. Mix strawberry, melon and yogurt. Another Panama food is empanada a pastries filled with cheese, meat, potatoes, corn or sweets. Empanadas are good for snacks and also breakfast.
Here’s another cuisine that’s a little bit exotic, a not so typical kind of food. The Kuna Yala it is an indigenous cuisine consisting of fresh sea foods like crabs, shrimp, fish or lobsters added with rice, beans and stewed or steamed vegetables. Ceviche is one of the most widespread dishes in Panama food. Its recipes and ingredients vary from season and place. Mostly it includes raw sea foods like fish, crabs, shrimps and conch. It is an authentic Panamanian dish that you would love to try. These sea foods are chopped into small pieces together with the tomatoes, onions and cilantro. It is marinated with lemon juice or you may add up vinegar. This may kill the raw sea foods bacteria.
These are other common foods that you may see in Panama, Patacones, a fried plaintain slice. This is usually banana chips or potatoes which are thinly sliced. Patacones is a common Carribean side dish. This is alternative for junk foods. Corvina  is a white fish from Pacific. This may be an alternative to Ceviche. It is also marinated with lime or lemon juice, mixed with red peppers, tomatoes, onions and cilantro. You may love this dish which is called the Yuca frita. It is a sprears of a Yuca fruit deeply fried in oil, added with salt and sprinkled with fried garlic. This resembles the French fries. And don’t miss the Panamanian Sancocho, it is an old countryside soup with chicken.
Panama food is close to Latin America’s cuisine but it has its own uniqueness of taste and style. Panama has been blessed with variety of foods. From vegetables, herbs and tropical fruits. It has everything from a simple to ultra-exotic cuisines.