Food of Panama
Panamanian food reflects Spanish, African, Indigenous and Caribbean cultures, with rice, coconut, seafood and plantains as staples. Sancocho is a national comfort dish, and the Caribbean coast adds coconut rice and spicy seafood. Fresh corn, yuca and tropical fruit appear throughout.
- Main dishes (9)
- Breakfast (3)
- Street food (4)
- Soups (2)
- Salads (2)
- Desserts and sweets (4)
- Drinks (3)
- Fruits and produce (6)
Staples
- rice
- corn
- plantains
- yuca
- chicken
- fish
- coconut
- beans
Signature flavors
- culantro
- coconut
- garlic
- oregano
- ginger
- achiote
Main dishes
Chicken and yuca stew with culantro.
Key ingredients: chicken, yuca, culantroFull guide →
Rice with chicken and vegetables.
Key ingredients: rice, chicken, peas
Shredded beef in tomato sauce.
Key ingredients: beef, peppersFull guide →Rice cooked in coconut milk.
Key ingredients: rice, coconut milkFried whole fish with patacones.
Key ingredients: fish, lime
Cassava fritters stuffed with meat.
Key ingredients: yuca, beef
Tamale of corn masa with chicken in banana leaf.
Key ingredients: masa, chicken, olivesFull guide →Chopped beef stew.
Key ingredients: beef, tomatoSoupy rice with meat.
Key ingredients: rice, chickenBreakfast
Fried dough with cheese or syrup.
Key ingredients: flour, oilFried corn tortillas for breakfast.
Key ingredients: corn, cheeseBoiled corn bread.
Key ingredients: cornStreet food
Fried turnovers.
Key ingredients: masa, beefFull guide →
Fried plantain disks.
Key ingredients: plantain
Shaved ice with fruit syrup.
Key ingredients: ice, syrupSweet corn drink.
Key ingredients: corn, milkSoups
Fish head soup.
Key ingredients: fish, vegetablesSeafood soup.
Key ingredients: shrimp, fish, coconutSalads
Potato salad with beets.
Key ingredients: potato, beet
Fish ceviche with lime.
Key ingredients: fish, lime, onionDesserts and sweets
Milk cake.
Key ingredients: sponge, milksFull guide →Rice pudding.
Key ingredients: rice, milk
Coconut candy.
Key ingredients: coconut, sugarSyrup-soaked cake.
Key ingredients: cake, syrupDrinks
Sweet corn drink.
Key ingredients: corn, sugarPineapple drink.
Key ingredients: pineapple
Highland coffee.
Key ingredients: coffeeFruits and produce
Sweet and juicy.
Seasonal.
Common.
Full guide →
Used for juice.
Full guide →
Sweet fruit.
Water and milk.
Dish guides from Panama
More cuisines of Central America
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Sancocho de espinazo de cerdo: Daguerreroa, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Arroz-con-Pollo: Kobako, CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
- RealRopaVieja: TGrey89, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Barranquilla - Carimañolas: Jdvillalobos, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Tamal oaxaqueño: Georgina Meneses, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Tapa de empanadillitas: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Tostones: AMartiniouk, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Shavedice: Sean Loyless from Austin, USA, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Cebiche de corvina: Picanteria karol, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Pastel de Tres Leches: @joefoodie, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Cocadas ferrol: Deparpor, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Chicha with Pipeño: simenon simenon, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Latte and dark coffee: Bex Walton, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- കൈതച്ചക്ക: Suniltg at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mangos - single and halved: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Carica papaya - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-029: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Guava pink fruit: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- ARS- Pouteria sapota: Unknown, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Cocos nucifera - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-187: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
