Growing Up With Panamanian Food
When most people think of Panama they think of the Panama Canal, Noriega, and Panama hats. But you really should be talking about traditional Panamanian food! The vibrant flavors and diverse dishes that make up Panama’s culinary landscape tell a story of cultural fusion, family traditions, and the rich history that defines this Central American nation.
I think it’s important to talk about food when observing our heritage because it plays such an important role in who we are. Immigrants bring the traditional dishes of their countries with them wherever they go and cooking traditional food is a way of preserving their culture when they move to new places. It’s important to me to not only cook Panamanian dishes but to pass them on to my children because it’s a symbol of pride for my ethnicity.
If you’re curious about traditional Panamanian food or looking to bring a bit of Panamanian sabor into your own kitchen, this guide is for you!
What Makes Panamanian Food Unique?
Panamanian cuisine is a blend of cultures:
- Afro-Caribbean influence: Coconut milk, plantains, tropical spices
- Spanish colonial roots: Rice dishes, stews, and roasted meats
- Indigenous traditions: Corn-based foods like tortillas and tamales
- Asian fusion: Thanks to Panama’s significant Chinese community, dishes like arroz frito (fried rice) are staples
“In Colón, you’ll find dishes heavy with coconut milk and spices. In the interior, there’s more Spanish influence, with dishes like sancocho and arroz con pollo.”
It’s a melting pot of cultures, and every region adds its own twist to the dishes.
Essential Ingredients in Traditional Panamanian Food
Staple Proteins and Grains
- Rice (Arroz): The foundation of most Panamanian meals
- Chicken (Pollo): Featured in countless traditional dishes
- Beef (Carne): Often prepared as stewed meat in rich sauces
- Pork (Cerdo): Used in everything from main dishes to pickled preparations
- Seafood (Mariscos): Fresh fish and shrimp from both coasts
Key Vegetables and Herbs
- Yuca (Cassava): A versatile root vegetable used in many forms
- Plantains (Plátanos): Both green and ripe, fried or boiled
- Culantro: The distinctive herb that gives sancocho its authentic flavor
- Sofrito: A flavor base made from garlic, onions, and peppers
- Pigeon Peas (Guandú): Essential for the famous rice dish
Signature Seasonings
- Coconut Milk: Adds richness to rice and stews
- Achiote: Provides color and earthy flavor
- Lime juice and Vinegar: For pickling and marinating
- Hot Peppers: Adding heat to various dishes
Traditional Panamanian Breakfast Dishes
Breakfast is a big deal in Panama! Here are some of my favorites:
Hojaldras
Light, fluffy fried bread. We love them with coffee for breakfast or as a snack.
Also known as Panamanian fry bread, hojaldra is a beloved breakfast favorite that represents the comfort food aspect of traditional Panamanian cuisine. Growing up we usually ate it with a fried hot dog and a fried egg. In a lot of other countries in Latin America, they serve it sweet. I actually make this quite often because the common ingredients are always in my kitchen.
This golden, crispy bread is more than just food, it’s a morning ritual that brings families together. The dough is rolled thin and fried until it puffs up into light, airy perfection. Some families have their own secret techniques for achieving the perfect texture, passed down through generations.
“Hojaldras are my absolute favorite. We’d buy them fresh from the corner vendor, piping hot and dusted with sugar.”
Hojaldra is a traditional Panamanian fried dough made from a few simple ingredients
Empanadas de Maíz: Corn-based empanadas filled with cheese or meat, perfect for breakfast or any time of day.
Tortillas de Maíz: Panamanian tortillas are thick corn tortillas served with fresh cheese and coffee.
Bollos: Corn tamales that can be sweet or savory, wrapped in corn husks.
Popular Panamanian Lunch and Dinner Dishes
Lunch is often the biggest meal of the day in Panama. Here’s what you’ll find on many tables:
Carne Guisada
Tender stewed beef served with tortillas or hojaldras. Perfect for a hearty breakfast.
I remember when I was younger and people would ask me what Panamanians eat I didn’t really know how to explain it. I would say that the meat dishes were always in a red sauce like its own gravy and you put that on your rice. This is by far my favorite meal.
Carne guisada represents the soul of traditional Panamanian food. It’s stewed meat that’s cooked slowly until it’s fall-apart tender, swimming in a rich, flavorful sauce that’s perfect for spooning over rice. The sauce is usually made from the juice the meat makes and adding in other spices plus sofrito and/or tomato sauce.
The Secret to Perfect Carne Guisada:
- Brown the meat properly for deep flavor
- Use a good sofrito base
- Let it simmer slowly—patience is key
- Adjust seasoning throughout cooking
- Serve over perfectly cooked rice
Sancocho
A hearty chicken soup with yuca, corn, and culantro. It’s Panama’s national dish and perfect for any occasion.
In my house, we eat soup year round, yes even on a hot day! Most cultures have a version of chicken soup, and sancocho is the Panamanian version. Like chicken soup in American culture, sancocho has healing powers. It will cure hangovers, the flu, a cold, you name it! Well sancocho and vaporub!
This isn’t just soup, it’s medicine, comfort, and tradition all in one bowl. The magic happens when all the ingredients simmer together, creating a broth that’s both nourishing and deeply flavorful.
Traditional Sancocho Ingredients:
- Chicken (of course)
- Culantro (not the same as cilantro)
- Garlic
- Onions
- Carrots
- Corn
- Yuca
- Oregano
- Black pepper
It’s traditionally served with white rice and is considered the ultimate comfort food in Panamanian households.
“I remember my grandmother’s sancocho simmering all day on the stove. It’s the ultimate comfort food.”
Arroz con Pollo
A flavorful rice dish cooked with chicken, veggies, and spices. Served at celebrations and family gatherings.
Ropa Vieja (Old Clothes)
Shredded beef cooked in a rich tomato sauce, often served with rice and beans.
Arroz con Guandú y Coco
Rice cooked in coconut milk with pigeon peas represents one of the most beloved examples of traditional Panamanian food. In my family rice is cooked in the biggest pots known to man. It isn’t served with butter or sugar (yuck.) But the absolute best part of any rice is the burnt part on the bottom. Yes, we purposely burn the bottom which we call “concolon”, some people call it pegao.
This dish showcases the Caribbean influence on Panamanian cuisine perfectly. The coconut milk adds richness and a subtle tropical flavor that pairs beautifully with the earthy pigeon peas. The technique of achieving the perfect concolon, that crispy, slightly burnt bottom layer. Is an art form that takes practice to master.
Traditional Cooking Method:
- Sauté pigeon peas with garlic and onions
- Add rice and stir to coat
- Pour in coconut milk and water
- Season with salt and pepper
- Cook until rice is tender and bottom is crispy
Pescado Frito (Fried Fish) with Patacones
Whole fried fish seasoned and served with crispy smashed green plantains. One of the most popular seafood dishes in Panama.
Tamales Panameños
You can eat them anytime you want, but you will probably see them most during Christmas and special occasions. Wrapped in banana leaves or plantain leaves and filled with chicken. Panamanian tamales are wetter than most others so you have to eat them with a fork. The masa is made out of cornmeal.
These tamales are a perfect example of how traditional Panamanian cooking adapts indigenous techniques with available ingredients. The banana leaf wrapping not only keeps the tamales moist but also imparts a subtle flavor that you can’t get from corn husks.
Traditional Tamale Preparation:
- Masa made from cornmeal and chicken broth
- Filled with seasoned chicken and vegetables
- Wrapped in banana leaves and tied securely
- Steamed for hours until perfectly tender
- Served with a fork due to the moist texture
Panamanian Snacks and Street Food
Panama’s street food scene is vibrant and full of flavor:
Carimañolas
Yuca fritters stuffed with ground meat and spices. Crispy outside, soft inside. These are pretty similar to empanadas. The smashed yuca root is used as the dough and filled with meat or cheese. They are shaped like torpedoes and fried. Even though they are fried on the outside they are soft inside.
Carimañolas represent the creative use of indigenous ingredients in traditional Panamanian food. The yuca dough creates a completely different texture from regular empanadas, and the torpedo shape makes them instantly recognizable.
Traditional Carimañola Process:
- Boil yuca until very tender
- Mash into smooth dough
- Form into torpedo shapes around filling
- Deep fry until golden brown
- Serve hot with your favorite sauce
Empanadas
Light, flaky pastries filled with meat, cheese, or chicken.
I’ve had empanadas in Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Panama, and the Dominican Republic and Panama has the best! I know I’m biased, but they are so good! Some people describe them as Latin American-style turnovers. My taste buds are watering thinking about them now. They are a flaky crust filled with anything you like, but the beef filling is my favorite.
What makes Panamanian empanadas special is the pastry dough, which is incredibly flaky and buttery. The traditional beef filling is seasoned with sofrito, creating a perfect balance of flavors. These aren’t just snacks, they’re an art form that requires skill to create the perfect seal and achieve that golden-brown perfection.
Popular Empanada Fillings:
- Carne (Beef): Seasoned ground beef with onions and spices
- Pollo (Chicken): Shredded chicken with vegetables
- Queso (Cheese): Simple but delicious cheese filling
- Camarón (Shrimp): Coastal favorite with fresh seafood
Patacones
Green plantains, smashed and twice-fried until crispy.
Fried green plantains are a staple in traditional Panamanian food and many Latin American cuisines. I personally eat it with melted butter and a little salt, but everyone is different. You fry them once, remove them, smash them then fry them again. It’s served as a side dish.
The double-frying technique is what makes patacones so special. The first fry partially cooks the plantain, the smashing creates more surface area, and the second fry creates that perfect crispy exterior with a tender interior.
Pro Tips for Perfect Patacones:
- Choose plantains that are green and firm
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying
- Smash them evenly for consistent cooking
- Season immediately after the second fry
Patacones
Patacones (unripe green banana) is a plantain that is fried, smashed, and then fried again.
Traditional Panamanian Desserts
No meal is complete without something sweet:
Cocadas
Coconut macaroons sweetened with condensed milk and often tinted pink or white.
Tres Leches Cake
A sponge cake soaked in three types of milk, sweet, creamy, and utterly delicious. While not exclusively Panamanian, this dessert has become a traditional finale to special meals.
Pesada de Nance
A dessert made with the nance fruit, sugar, and spices, often served warm.
Traditional Panamanian Drinks
Some of Panama’s best flavors come in liquid form:
Chicha de Saril
A festive drink made from hibiscus flowers (also called flor de Jamaica), sweetened and served cold.
Seco Herrerano
Panama’s national spirit, distilled from sugar cane. Often mixed into cocktails.
Ron Ponche
No list of Panamanian drinks is complete without Ron Ponche.
Think of it like Panama’s answer to eggnog, but with a tropical twist. Ron Ponche is a rich, creamy drink made with eggs, condensed milk, vanilla, nutmeg, and plenty of rum. It’s typically served chilled during the holiday season and at family celebrations.
“Growing up, my family always had a bottle of homemade Ron Ponche tucked away in the fridge around Christmas. Even now, just one sip takes me straight back to festive gatherings, laughter, and music.”
It’s sweet, decadent, and tastes like a celebration in a glass.
This Panamanian beverage is a creamy, custard-like holiday beverage usually made during Christmas and Ano Nuevo (The New Year)
My Favorite Panamanian Recipes to Cook at Home
Since moving to Arizona, these dishes keep me connected to home, and I’m passing them on to my boys:
- Hojaldras
- Arroz con Coco
- Sancocho
- Empanadas
“Cooking these dishes makes me feel closer to Panama, even when I’m thousands of miles away.”
If you’d like to try cooking the best Panamanian food at home, check out the recipes on my blog!
The Best Traditional Foods of Panama
Whether you’re exploring these flavors for the first time or reconnecting with your heritage, Panama’s food offers a delicious journey through history, culture, and family tradition. The recipes may vary from family to family, but the love, care, and cultural pride that goes into each dish remains constant.
Which typical Panamanian foods would you love to try first? Drop me a comment. I’d love to connect over food and memories!
Kidha el sao is just pig feet an not pig parts. Good Panamanian food – cultural exposure. Tks
you can also used the ears and chicken feet and beef feet. its good what you are doing Kisha . Keep it up!
You did a great job explaining our food to the world, it made me proud and nostalgic
Great job
Thanks!
Too much personal negative comments,who eat arroz con guandu with butter and sugar 🙄
Do you have a recipe for the carne guisada? Never got the chance to learn the recipe from my grandma. I know you mentioned you don’t remember what goes in it, I’m the same way sometimes! lol
Stew Meat
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Carrots
Brown up meat with garlic and onions. Add in chopped veggies with tomato sauce and tomato paste. Add a can of water. Stir until tomato paste is dissolved down to tomato sauce consistency. Add salt and pepper and let simmer until meat is tender and potatoes/carrots are soft.
Serve with rice and patacones or plátano en tentación!
It’s so amazing!! So many people are able to understand nuestra culture and our food it really is amazing!!
A mi Mami siempre era de suma importancia cocinar el arroz con guandu Y COCO. Me encanta y así lo cocino para mi esposo gringo! Además yo hago empanadas de carne de res al estilo picadillo argentino porque de verdad que es lo mejor. No he hecho carimañolas aún pero será pronto en cuanto consigo la yuca. El sancocho que más me encanta es la nuestra típica con CULANTRO pero lastimosamente aquí en el NE de OREGON no lo consigo!
Gracias por hacerme aguar la boca. Esta Navidad haré tamales como los hacia mi abuelita!
Hi Kisha,
I really enjoyed reading your bio and will definitely try out some of your recipes. Do you have a recipe for the picture of the Tamales? Thanks
Jacquelyn
I was so satisfied with this blog!! The recipes, the laughs, and new found knowledge in Panamanian culture, thank you for sharing. Below is a recipe for Jamaican Pigeon Peas and Rice. I wonder how similar in taste they’d be?!
https://cooklikeajamaican.com/amp/gungo-peas-and-rice/
Tiffany, it’s essentially the same. Panamanian rice and peas and other dishes is influenced by our Jamaican grandparents, great grandson etc. I live our blended culture.