Perfect Panama Recipes: A Go-To Cookbook of Latin American Dish Ideas!
SynopsisPlot
The cuisine of Panama reflects the influences of numerous ethnic groups, including the African, Spanish, Afro-Antillean and Amerindian, who are native to Panama. In fact, you’ll even find burger joints and kosher restaurants in Panama, reflecting the infusion of other ideas on the foods and cooking in Panama. Most of the foods in Panama trace to Spanish and other European colonists who fused their own recipes with the Caribbean foods native to Panama. Rice is often used, in everything from side dishes to drinks and desserts. Fish, chicken and beef are also staples, as are corn and plantains. Soup is popular in Panama, especially their national dish, Sancocho, which is made with rice and chicken. In cafes, Panamanian breakfasts consist of fried treats made with bread, corn and meat, along with cheeses, coffee and orange juice. For lunch, dishes made with rice, meat, fish, coconut and vegetables are served most everywhere. Panamanians usually eat lighter meals on weekdays, but that doesn’t mean the meals aren’t SO tasty. Try a recipe today…
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About this book
Perfect Panama Recipes is a cookbook by Julia Chiles that gathers dish ideas rooted in Panamanian cooking. Panama's food culture draws from several traditions, including Spanish, African, Afro-Antillean, and Amerindian influences, and the book uses this diversity as its starting point. Rice appears throughout, from side dishes to desserts and even drinks, while fish, chicken, beef, corn, and plantains form the other common building blocks of the cuisine.
The collection covers meals across the day. Breakfast in Panama often features fried items made from bread, corn, and meat, served alongside cheese, coffee, and orange juice. Lunch dishes tend to combine rice with meat, fish, coconut, or vegetables. Weekday meals are generally lighter, though weekend cooking can be more elaborate. The book also addresses Sancocho, a chicken and rice soup widely regarded as Panama's national dish.
Beyond home cooking, the cookbook acknowledges the broader range of food found in Panama today, from burger restaurants to kosher dining, reflecting how newer influences have joined the older culinary layers. The recipes aim to give readers practical access to these Latin American flavors using accessible instructions.
