Panama Cuisine

The national cuisine of Panama is very similar to the food of Latin America, but it is not very much spicy. The ethnic food of Panama ranges from Thai and Japanese, to Italian and Middle Eastern. As a rule Panamanian specialties are fish, seafood and shellfish dishes. So, seafood (red snapper, shrimp, lobster, and octopus) is offered throughout the country The following dishes are worth trying: Patacones de plátano (fried plantain), Sancocho (a stew with chicken, meat and vegetables), Casado (a mixture of rice, black beans, chicken, meat, or fish, and salad), Gallo pinto (the rice-and-beans often accompanied by eggs), and Tamales (a pie wrapped in banana leaves). Panamanians eat a lot of rice, beans and meat with a variety of local vegetables and fruits. The majority of the locals like to start their day with a tortilla topped with eggs, beans, cheese and whatever else might be available. The country is also famous for its great variety of fruits such as yucca, squash, papaya, coconut, banana and watermelon.