Panama sits between two oceans and two continents, and its food reflects centuries of people passing through: Spanish colonists, enslaved Africans and Afro-Caribbean workers who built the railway and canal, Indigenous peoples, and more recently Chinese, Middle Eastern and American communities. The basics are rice, beans, plantains, corn, chicken and fresh seafood.

Classic dishes

  • Sancocho: chicken soup with ñame (a starchy root), corn, onion and the herb culantro. It is the national dish and is said to cure anything from a cold to a hangover.
  • Arroz con pollo: rice cooked with chicken, vegetables and achiote, served at every celebration.
  • Ropa vieja: shredded beef stewed with peppers, onions and tomato.
  • Arroz con guandú: rice with pigeon peas and coconut, especially popular at Christmas.
  • Tamales: corn dough filled with chicken or pork and wrapped in banana leaves, a Christmas favourite.

Seafood

Panama means "abundance of fish" in an Indigenous language, according to one popular explanation. Ceviche made from corvina (sea bass), cured in lime juice with onion, celery and chilli, is sold everywhere, especially at the Mercado de Mariscos fish market in Panama City. Whole fried fish with patacones and lime is a beach classic.

Plantains and corn

Patacones (twice-fried smashed green plantains) accompany almost everything. Carimañolas are yuca fritters stuffed with meat, and hojaldras are fried dough eaten at breakfast. Tortillas in Panama are thick, fried corn cakes, often served with eggs and cheese.

Caribbean flavours

On the Caribbean coast, in Colón and Bocas del Toro, food is shaped by Afro-Caribbean traditions. Rondón (run-down) is a coconut milk seafood stew, and rice and beans are cooked in coconut milk. Patí, spicy meat pastries, are a Bocas speciality.

Coffee

Panama produces some of the world's most expensive coffee. The Geisha variety grown in the highlands around Boquete has repeatedly set records at the Best of Panama auction, run by the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama. Coffee farm tours around Boquete are popular, and local cafés serve high-quality coffee at modest prices.

Drinks

Seco Herrerano, a sugarcane spirit, is mixed with milk (seco con leche) or used in cocktails. Chicha refers to fresh fruit juice, from tamarind to passion fruit, served with meals. Balboa and Panamá are the local beers.

Culture and traditions

  • Carnival: the four days before Ash Wednesday are the biggest party of the year, with water trucks spraying crowds (culecos) and parades. Las Tablas hosts the most famous celebration.
  • The pollera: Panama's national dress, an elaborate embroidered gown worn with gold jewellery and tembleques hair ornaments. 22 July is National Pollera Day.
  • November holidays: Panama celebrates independence from Colombia (3 November) and from Spain (28 November), with flag day, Colón day and others in between, making November a month of parades.
  • Guna molas: the Guna people of Guna Yala create molas, layered textile panels that are Panama's best-known craft.

Etiquette

  • Greet people with "buenos días" or "buenas" when entering shops or offices.
  • Dress neatly: shorts and flip-flops are frowned upon in banks and government offices, which may refuse entry.
  • Time is relaxed socially, but be punctual for business.
  • Tipping 10% in restaurants is customary, though check whether service is included.

See our Panama country guide for costs and data.