Hojaldras: Panama’s Fried Breakfast Bread
Hojaldras are Panamanian breakfast breads fried until puffed and golden, with soft centers and crisp edges. Made with six pantry … Read more
Panamanian Foods: Recipes, Drinks, Desserts & Cooking Guides
✦ October’s Featured Dish
Carimañolas
A beloved Panamanian street food. Yuca dough shaped around a savory meat filling, then fried until golden and crisp.
Get the Recipe →Explore Panamanian Food
Carimañolas
Crispy yuca fritters, a Panamanian favorite.
Ceviche
Corvina cured in lime with onion and ají chombo.
Chicheme
Panama's iconic corn-based drink.
Desserts
Sweet classics from Panama's kitchens.
Hojaldras
Puffy fried bread for a Panamanian breakfast.
Ingredients
Ñame, culantro and 10 more pantry staples.
Panela
Central America's traditional raw cane sugar.
Patacones
Twice-fried green plantains, golden and crisp.
Sancocho
The national soup of chicken, ñame and culantro.
Side Dishes
Eight dishes every food lover must try.
The Complete Panamanian Food Guide
9 traditional dishes, ingredients, and cooking guides in one place.
Explore the Guide →8 Panamanian Side Dishes Every Food Lover Must Try
The perfect plate, completed.
Explore Side Dishes →Latest Panamanian Recipes
View All Recipes →Hojaldras: Panama’s Fried Breakfast Bread
Panamanian Ceviche de Corvina: Lime, Onion and Ají Chombo
Ñame: The True Yam of the Caribbean
Sancocho Panameño: Panama’s Chicken and Ñame Soup
Panamanian Ingredients: 12 Staples from Rice to Ají Chombo
Panela: The Ultimate Guide to This Natural Sweetener
Top 7 Panamanian Desserts You Need to Try
Chicheme: Panama’s Iconic Corn-Based Drink
Panamanian Food: A Guide to the 9 Best Dishes of Panama
8 Panamanian Side Dishes Every Food Lover Must Try
A little Panamanian curiosity
Fun Facts About Panamanian Foods
Big flavors. Little surprises. There’s a story in every bite.
Any time, any heatTheir national dish is hot chicken soup.
Panamanian sancocho, chicken simmered with ñame root and culantro, is eaten year-round in tropical heat. It’s also Panama’s favorite cure after a long night out.
Liquid goldTheir coffee sells for thousands of dollars a pound.
Geisha coffee from the highlands around Boquete regularly breaks auction records, with top lots selling for thousands of dollars per pound. It tastes floral and tea-like.
Panamanian Food FAQs
A little curious? Open a question.What do Panamanians eat at Christmas?
Arroz con guandú (rice with pigeon peas), ensalada de feria (a pink potato and beet salad), roast pork or turkey, and a glass of ron ponche, Panama’s rum eggnog.
See Panama’s holiday dishes →What is arroz con pollo like in Panama?
Yellow rice cooked with chicken, vegetables and olives. It’s the dish at every birthday party and family celebration.
Make arroz con pollo →What is otoe?
Panama’s name for malanga, a starchy root that thickens sancocho and gets mashed or fried as a side.
Learn about malanga →Where does Panama’s famous coffee grow?
In the cool highlands of Chiriquí, especially around Boquete and Volcán, on the slopes of Volcán Barú.
Explore Latin American coffees →Panamanian Food: A Beginner’s Guide
Panama is home to one of Latin America’s most diverse culinary traditions, where Indigenous, Spanish, African, and Afro-Caribbean influences come together to create a cuisine full of fresh ingredients and bold, comforting flavors. As the land bridge connecting North and South America, Panama has developed a unique food culture built around rice, corn, plantains, yuca, tropical fruits, fresh seafood, and locally grown herbs. From the national dish sancocho to flavorful seafood, fried specialties, and hearty home-cooked meals, Panamanian food reflects the country’s rich cultural heritage and vibrant regional diversity.
Whether you’re planning a trip to Panama, searching for authentic Panamanian recipes, or discovering the country’s most iconic dishes, you’ll find everything you need here. Explore favorites like sancocho, carimañolas, ropa vieja, patacones, hojaldres, and ceviche, along with traditional Panamanian desserts, refreshing drinks, cooking guides, and regional specialties from Panama City, Colón, the Azuero Peninsula, and beyond. Whether you’re preparing a traditional family meal or exploring Panamanian cuisine for the first time, you’ll discover recipes and guides that showcase Panama’s rich culinary traditions and the authentic flavors that have made Panamanian cuisine one of Central America’s most distinctive culinary traditions.
If you’re new to Panamanian cuisine, start with our comprehensive guide to Panamanian Food: A Guide to the 9 Best Dishes of Panama, then continue exploring our authentic recipes, desserts, drinks, and regional food guides. Whether you’re cooking at home or learning about Panama’s vibrant culinary heritage, AmigoFoods is your trusted resource for authentic Panamanian food.
Panamanian Ceviche de Corvina: Lime, Onion and Ají Chombo
Ceviche de corvina is Panama’s bright, chilled seafood snack: white fish with lime, onion, crunchy celery, culantro and fiery ají … Read more
Ñame: The True Yam of the Caribbean
Ñame is the true yam, the bark-skinned root at the heart of Dominican and Panamanian sancocho.
Sancocho Panameño: Panama’s Chicken and Ñame Soup
Sancocho Panameño is Panama’s comforting chicken soup, simmered with ñame and culantro until the broth thickens. Garlic, onion and oregano … Read more
Panamanian Ingredients: 12 Staples from Rice to Ají Chombo
The 12 ingredients behind Panamanian cooking, from rice, guandú and ñame to culantro, ají chombo and seco, and what each one does.
Panela: The Ultimate Guide to This Natural Sweetener
If you’re looking for a natural sweetener that’s packed with flavor and nutrients, panela is your answer! Unlike refined sugar, … Read more
Top 7 Panamanian Desserts You Need to Try
Panamanian desserts offer a delightful glimpse into the country’s rich culinary heritage, seamlessly blending indigenous, Spanish, and Afro-Caribbean influences into … Read more
Chicheme: Panama’s Iconic Corn-Based Drink
Chicheme is a creamy Panamanian drink made with tender cracked corn, milk, sugar and cinnamon. Served cold with pieces of … Read more
Panamanian Food: A Guide to the 9 Best Dishes of Panama
Panamanian food is a vibrant mix of indigenous, Spanish, and Afro-Caribbean flavors that reflect the country’s rich cultural heritage. … Read more
8 Panamanian Side Dishes Every Food Lover Must Try
Panama stands not only as the bridge between North and South America but also as a melting pot of cultures, … Read more
Carimañola, the South American Stuffed Yuca Fritter
Carimañolas are crisp yuca fritters popular in Colombia and Panama, with a soft dough wrapped around meat or cheese. This … Read more