Traditional Food of Panama

Panama's national dish: a chicken soup with ñame (yam), cassava, corn and culantro, simmered slowly. Served piping hot, almost always with white rice on the side — it brings the family together on Sundays and at every celebration.

Panamanian ceviche is juicy and refreshing: corvina or shrimp "cooked" in lime juice with onion, culantro and chilli. Eaten ice-cold with soda crackers or patacones, it's the perfect appetiser for a hot day.

Torpedo-shaped cassava fritters stuffed with seasoned ground beef. Crispy outside, soft inside — a breakfast and snack classic, almost always paired with a cup of coffee.

Green plantain slices fried twice and flattened until golden and crunchy. Eaten as a side or on their own with salt; on the coast they're served with fried fish and lime.

Made from ground corn and fried in hot oil, Panamanian empanadas are filled with ground beef and fried until crisp. The go-to mid-morning snack.

A fluffy fried bread, golden outside and tender inside — the king of the Panamanian breakfast. Served with white cheese, scrambled eggs or simply with coffee.

Cassava sticks fried until golden and crunchy outside, soft inside. A must-have side next to arroz con pollo or any main dish.

Corn masa with chicken or pork, olives and capers, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. The star dish of end-of-year holidays and birthdays.

Yellow rice coloured with achiote, cooked with chicken, vegetables and peas. A party and Sunday dish, served with potato salad and fried plantain slices.

Flank steak shredded and slow-cooked in a tomato sauce with onion, bell pepper and spices. Served over white rice, it's one of the most beloved stews of creole cooking.

A fluffy sponge cake soaked in a mix of three milks (evaporated, condensed and cream), topped with whipped cream. The dessert of every celebration — cold and very sweet.

Sweets made from grated coconut and sugar, slow-cooked until caramelised. Sold on streets and markets, they're the country's most traditional sweet bite.

A creamy drink made from corn, milk, cinnamon and sugar, served ice-cold. Typical of the La Chorrera region, sold at street stalls.

The jewel of Panamanian coffee: a variety grown in the Chiriquí highlands that has become one of the world's most expensive and awarded coffees. Enjoyed in Boquete, on a farm or in a specialty café.