Avocado

The green gold of Panamanian cuisine. Creamy and nutritious, avocado accompanies rice with chicken, sancocho stew, and arepas. Panama grows varieties year-round thanks to its privileged climate.

Persea americana, avocado, is a fruit tree native to Mesoamerica that found ideal year-round growing conditions in Panama. Numerous varieties are cultivated in the country, from the small creole avocado with thin skin and intense flavor to large commercial varieties like Hass. The green-yellowish pulp is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, potassium, and vitamins E and K. In Panama, avocado is omnipresent: served in slices with every meal, mashed as guacamole, or blended with milk and sugar for a sweet cream. It grows from urban backyards to plantations in Chiriquí.

Habitat

Cultivated in lowlands and mid-elevations throughout Panama, from home orchards to commercial plantations