One of the most enjoyable parts of travel is finding and trying very local cuisine. Part of the planning a good trip is figuring out what are the key dishes and beverages that are consumed by the locals and are there any specialties that may be impossible to get elsewhere. These meals all have histories worth understanding and very much reflect local culture.
On a personal note, I cringe every time I see an American fast food chain in a foreign country because we exported the worst of our cuisine to world. Fast food isn’t food and it doesn’t reflect the best of American food culture.
Before travel, I start researching popular local dishes and beverages and craft a list of items that seem worthy of the time to go find and enjoy. Panama has an amazing supply of unique dishes and beverages. So let’s enjoy!
Coffee - Geisha Coffee Bean
Panama rules the gourmet coffee scene. The Geisha varietal of the Arabica coffee bean loves the Panamanian climate and produces one of the most complex cups of coffee on the planet, especially when light roasted. The Panamanians have won several coffee competitions and can demand, and get north, of $100(US) a pound for this coffee. We found Sisu, a coffee shop owned by the Lamatus family, who own and operate three of the coffee plantations in Boquete, Panama. We enjoyed a pour over of their geisha coffee ($10 a cup). The smell of the coffee was a mix of chocolate and fresh baked bread. You could taste chocolate, heavy floral like smelling a hibiscus flower, and it finished with a citrus, almost orange, flavor. Absolutely acidic but not overpowering and definately not
Local Beer = Water Replacement
As a US citizen, I am spoiled by access to clean water just about everywhere I go in the States. This is not a standard in most foreign countries. Not to mention, even if it is, the water is going to have local bacteria that will make any visitor sick for a few days. So it is always important to find quickly the local beer. Most foreign local beers are dirt cheap, have really low alcohol levels and are available just about everywhere. Bottled water is not. In Panama, this is Balboa, Panama and Atlas beers. Balboa actually has some flavor to it, the other two, not so much.
Panamanian Coconut Sauce
Panamanian coconut sauce gets put on various seafood dishes across Panama. This sauce is a beautiful blend of coconut milk, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro and ginger. It looks like curry sauce from India, but smells and tastes totally different. It is a beautiful sauce that adds both depth and fat to seafood. It is well worth trying.
Fried Whole Fish
Given the oceans on both sides of Panama, it should not be a surprise to anyone that fried whole fish can be found in an abundance at local Panamanian restaurants. Usually red snapper, but sometimes sea bass, is breaded and fried whole and then served with various sauces. The sauces range from the traditional coconut sauce to creole sauce to a simple garlic and butter sauce.
Ceviche
Ceviche is everywhere in Panama, which is no surprise. Put simply ceviche is typically seafood marinated in a citrus juice with herbs, spices, and usually onion and garlic. Given all the fresh fish and native limes, ceviche is a wonderful way to explore the local cuisine as each chef is going to make it their own way.
Panamanian Chocolate
With the perfect climate for coffee, Panama has the perfect climate for chocolate. There are two big chocolate producers in Panama, Kotowa and Mahogany Chocolates. Most of the chocolate in Panama is exported out to other countries, so you have to find the tourist chocolate shops to get your hands on Panamanian Chocolate. When you do, it is a treat. The very dark chocolate has fruity flavors with a nutty finish. It is not as complex as Madagascar chocolate, but it is still really good.
Hojaldra panameña - Fried Bread
Savory fried bread traveled into Panama with the Spanish. It is traditionally served with eggs, but the modern Panamanian street food scene is using it as sandwich bread. It is filing and fabulous at holding it the sauces on shredded beef, chicken and pork.
Ropa Vieja - Shredded Beef with Tomatos and Rice
This flavorful dish is shredded beef with a tomato and chili sauce, vegetables and rice. Having grown up on the Mexican border, this reminds me of the filling to beef enchiladas and chimichangas. It is delicious, flavorful and definitely comfort food.
Craft Beverages - Beer & Rum
There are plenty of local craft beers and rum/seco makers in Panama. So go explore their creativity and local ingredients. At the Boquete Brewing Company we enjoyed a hoppy pale ale and a coconut pilsner. The fresh coconut in the coconut pilsner gave it such a unique finish that it didn’t feel like you were drinking a beer at all.
Panama, being a larger producer of sugar, would of course make seco and rum. Most of the distilleries are not open to the public and the few that are have very limited hours. A few have opened their own rum bars, making it super easy to find and try their products as a tourist. Pedro Mandinga had several rums to try, but the one that stood out was a Geisha Coffee rum. The coffee flavor was complex, the finish was smooth and it was not a sticky sweet rum.
Enjoy experimenting.