Panamanian Cuisine

Panamanian cuisine reflects the country's role as a crossroads of the Americas, blending Spanish, indigenous, African and Caribbean influences. It is hearty and comforting, built on rice, beans, meat and plantains, with the chicken-and-vegetable soup sancocho considered the national dish, alongside the fried dough hojaldres for breakfast, ceviche and fresh seafood from two oceans, patacones fried plantains, and, from the highlands, some of the finest coffee in the world.

What's there

• Sancocho - the hearty chicken-and-vegetable soup, the national dish.
• Ceviche - the fresh seafood ceviche of the fish market.
• Patacones - the twice-fried green plantains.
• Panamanian coffee - the world-class highland coffee.

When to go

Year-round; the fish market in Panama City is the place for fresh ceviche, and simple local fondas serve the hearty home-style staples, while the highlands of Boquete offer coffee-farm visits and tastings.

Practical notes

Panamanian food is hearty, comforting and mild rather than spicy or varied, so its appeal is honest home cooking, fresh seafood from two oceans and superb coffee rather than bold flavour. Ceviche and seafood are highlights, best from a busy market. It is generally cheap and filling at local fondas, though the international dining in Panama City is more varied and pricier.

Nearby

The two coasts for seafood, the highlands for coffee, each region with its specialities.