TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Panamanian Foods
Yuca al mojo is a flavorful side dish that is popular in Panama and throughout the Caribbean. It consists of boiled cassava (yuca) marinated in a zesty sauce made with garlic, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Although it is usually served as a side dish, yuca al mojo is also a welcome addition to numerous salads.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Cachapa, chorreada, arepa de choclo, güirila, toquera, tortilla de choclo, and tortilla changa, are all names that describe a Latin American corn dish that can be categorized as either a pancake, tortilla, or flatbread, depending on the country.
It can be made only of corn or have additional ingredients like sugar, water, milk, salt, butter, cheese, and oil. They are typically prepared by street vendors and are either fried or griddled (in Nicaragua, they’re cooked between two banana leaves!) and characterized by a sweet-savory flavor.
Hojaldres is a traditional breakfast bread consisting of fried dough made with flour, sugar, salt, and oil or butter. The texture of this bread is similar to donuts, but its taste is savory. The flat, round bread is usually topped with cheese, while a sausage stew known as salchichas guisadas is often served as a dip on the side.
MOST ICONIC Hojaldres
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Carimañolas are Colombian snacks made with mashed cassava that is filled with chicken, beef, or cheese before being deep-fried. These fritters are traditionally torpedo-shaped and can be served for breakfast or as an appetizer before a bigger meal.
The meat filling is usually flavored with onions, bell peppers, garlic, cumin, and tomato paste. It is recommended to serve carimañolas warm with ají sauce on the side.
Plátanos en tentacion is a Panamanian dish that can be translated as plantains in temptation. It consists of ripe plantains that are mixed with a combination of water, butter, rum, sugar, and vanilla, and the concoction is then baked until dark golden in color.
Before serving, plátanos en tentacion are sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon. These plantains are traditionally served not as a dessert, but as a side dish, usually accompanying roasted meat and white rice.
Mamallena is a simple Panamanian bread pudding made with bread, sugar, eggs, butter, salt, vanilla extract, and raisins. All the ingredients are combined, poured into a glass mold, then baked until slightly brown. In Panama, mamallena means stuffed mama, probably denoting the dense and satisfying nature of this dessert.
This bread pudding is nothing like other bread puddings because its texture is much more spongier and mushier instead of bready. The dessert is sold in many local bakeries and it is usually served with a glass of milk.
Torrejitas de maiz are traditional Panamanian corn fritters which are also popular in Colombia. They are made with a combination of flour, sugar, baking powder, adobo seasoning, cheese, eggs, and corn. The ingredients are mixed together into a batter which is then fried in hot oil until golden brown.
These corn fritters are usually garnished with cilantro and served with pico de gallo, salsa verde, or hot sauces. It is recommended to serve them as accompaniments to various seafood dishes.
Tamal Panameño is a traditional dish originating from Panama. These Panamanian tamales have many variations, but they’re often prepared with corn dough that’s mixed with raisins and some broth. Once shaped, the tamales are stuffed with meat such as pork or chicken.
They’re wrapped in fresh banana leaves and steamed to perfection. The filling often contains many ingredients such as onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, olives, capers, and various spices, in addition to meat and raisins.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Tamal
Despite its name, sopa borracha (lit. drunk soup) is not a soup at all, but a festive Panamanian dessert that is especially popular at weddings and birthdays. It consists of a sponge cake that is cut into smaller pieces, then drenched in a sweet syrup made with sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and juice, dark rum, and sherry, boiled with prunes and raisins which are later used as a topping once the dessert has been assembled.
If desired, sopa borracha can be additionally topped with silver dragées, as the Panamanians do.
Bocado de la reina is a cake-like bread pudding made with leftover bread, condensed milk, eggs, and bananas. It is especially popular in Panama and Guatemala. This cake is typically flavored with cinnamon, while raisins might be added for extra flavor.
Although the literal translation of this dish means the bite of a queen or queen's bite, it is still unclear why a cake made with leftover bread would be fit for a queen.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Panamanian Food Producers
AWARDS
SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023
BEST Ron Abuelo Spirits
Hacienda La Esmeralda is synonymous with premium coffee and is one of the most esteemed specialty coffee producers in the world. Nestled in the beautiful Boquete region of Panama, this family-owned estate boasts a tradition spanning more than half a century.
The Peterson family acquired the estate in 1967, dedicating themselves to cultivating coffee with unparalleled quality and character. Their breakthrough moment came in 2004 when they discovered the exceptional properties of the Geisha coffee variety, renowned for its extraordinary aroma and complex flavor profile.
BEST Hacienda La Esmeralda Coffee Beans
Cafe de Panama S. De RL is a coffee producer based in Panama. They specialize in high-quality coffee sourced from the region's rich and fertile highlands. Their production includes various premium coffee beans, including the prestigious Geisha variety.
The company emphasizes sustainable farming practices and works closely with local farmers to ensure both quality and fair trade.
AWARDS
Great Taste Awards - 2 stars
2023, 2022, 2021
Great Taste Awards - 3 stars
2023
BEST Cafe De Panama S. De Rl Coffee Beans
Ninety Plus Coffee is an innovative producer of specialty coffee, known for its commitment to quality, environmental sustainability, and pioneering processing methods. The company was founded in 2006 by Joseph Brodsky with a vision to redefine industry standards through experimentation with fermentation, terroirs, and cultivation methods.
Ninety Plus Coffee began its journey in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, where new approaches to coffee cultivation and processing were developed. Shortly after, the company expanded its plantations to Panama, recognizing the exceptional conditions for growing premium Arabica coffee.
Lamastus Family Estates is a prestigious name in the world of premium coffee, with a cultivation tradition spanning over a century. The Lamastus family has been producing coffee since 1918, when Robert Lamastus founded the first plantation in the Boquete region, in the heart of Panama.
Today, this family tradition lives on through three exceptional estates: Elida Estate, El Burro Estate, and Luito Geisha Estate, located at altitudes ranging from 1,700 to 2,500 meters. The unique location of these plantations, rich volcanic soil, and microclimatic conditions contribute to the development of coffee with exceptional complexity of flavor and aromatic profile.
BEST Elida Estate Coffee Beans
AWARDS
Great Taste Awards - 2 stars
2023, 2022
Great Taste Awards - 3 stars
2022
BEST El Guapo De Boquete Liqueurs
AWARDS
IWSC- International wine & spirit competition - Spirit Gold
2023
BEST Varela Hermanos Spirits
Especias Valmar is a Panamanian company specializing in the production and distribution of herbs and spices. The company offers a variety of products including dried herbs, ground spices, and seasoning blends. Especias Valmar sources its raw materials both locally and internationally to ensure high-quality products.
The company serves both the domestic market in Panama and exports to other countries in the region.
AWARDS
Great Taste Awards - 2 stars
2024, 2023
BEST Especias Valmar Herbs and Spices
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Panamanian Food Products
AWARDS
Great Taste Awards - 3 stars
2023
El Guapo, Licor de Panama, la huella Geisha is a premium liqueur made by EL GUAPO DE BOQUETE. This product likely features ingredients native to Panama, incorporating local flavors and traditional techniques to create a unique and exquisite beverage.
Specifically, the name "la huella Geisha" suggests a connection to the renowned Geisha coffee, a rare and highly prized coffee varietal originally from Ethiopia but famously cultivated in Panama. EL GUAPO DE BOQUETE is presumably a producer that leverages the rich agricultural heritage of the Boquete region, known for its fertile soil and ideal climate for growing premium coffee and other crops.
AWARDS
Great Taste Awards - 3 stars
2022
AWARDS
SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023
Atempause Kaffee "Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha" is a true delight for lovers of premium coffee. This exclusive 100% Arabica coffee comes from the renowned Boquete region of Panama, where one of the world's most prestigious varieties – Geisha – is cultivated at an altitude of 1,850 meters.
Known for its exceptionally complex aromatic profile, this coffee offers delicate floral notes of jasmine, complemented by subtle hints of stone fruit and bergamot. Its brilliant acidity and exceptional purity of flavor make it one of the most highly regarded coffees among connoisseurs.
AWARDS
Great Taste Awards - 3 stars
2023
Great Taste Awards - 2 stars
2022
Discover perfection in every cup with Panama Geisha coffee – a unique variety that has captured the hearts of specialty coffee lovers worldwide. Known for its exceptional aroma and complex flavor, Geisha is synonymous with luxury and premium quality.
Panama Geisha originates from prestigious plantations in the Boquete region, situated at high altitudes on the slopes of the Baru volcano. The specific climate, rich soil, and meticulous cultivation contribute to creating an unforgettable flavor profile that sets this coffee apart from all others.
Every cup of Panama Geisha coffee delivers an extraordinary combination of aromas and notes that intertwine in perfect harmony.
Lycello is one of the most distinctive coffees from the Ninety Plus Coffee collection, crafted on their exclusive estates in Panama. This premium Gesha variety offers an exceptionally complex and rich flavor profile, with dominant fruity notes reminiscent of lychee, citrus, and honey, while subtle floral undertones provide an elegant finish.
Lycello is produced through carefully controlled fermentation and drying methods, allowing for depth of flavor and aromatic complexity. Each bean is cultivated in harmony with the natural environment, using sustainable methods that promote biodiversity and soil regeneration.
Juliette – The Art of Coffee in a Cup Juliette is one of the finest coffees from the Ninety Plus Coffee collection, renowned for its luxurious aroma and delicate complexity of flavors. This premium Gesha variety, carefully cultivated on Ninety Plus' exclusive estates in Panama, is distinguished by an exceptional balance of fruity and floral notes.
Its aroma reveals subtle hints of rose, Brazilian nut, frankincense, and licorice, while the flavor intertwines notes of orange peel, peach, and vanilla, creating a unique harmony of taste. A long-lasting aftertaste enriched with sweet and citrusy undertones leaves an unforgettable impression.
Perci is a distinguished coffee from the Ninety Plus Coffee collection, renowned for its innovative natural processing methods that enhance its unique flavor profile. This exceptional Gesha variety is cultivated on Ninety Plus' exclusive estates in Panama, where meticulous attention to detail ensures a superior coffee experience. Perci's name, derived from "perspective," reflects the sense of discovery and possibility achieved through its natural processing.
This coffee exemplifies Ninety Plus Coffee's commitment to process innovation, connecting deeply with nature, and implementing best social practices to redefine the coffee experience.
AWARDS
IWSC- International wine & spirit competition - Spirit Gold
2023
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.