Panama pt. 2
Lizabeth Sightler 4B
Breakfast native dishes:
- Hojaldras - doughnuts sprinkled with sugar
- Tortillas - flat pancakes made of corn flour and usually topped with eggs, cheese, or beans
- Arepas - made of corn flour and usually topped or stuffed with eggs, cheese, or beans
- Gallo pinto - literally "spotted rooster", made of rice, beans and usually pork, although it can be made with beef, chicken or mixed seafood. It is found in local restaurants
Snacks or Side native dishes:
- Empanadas - pastry filled with meat, cheese, potato or vegetables. Sometimes beef or shrimp is also offered. There are many street vendors with carritos, vendor carts attached to bicycles or motorcycles, selling homemade empanadas on busy streets in Panama City
- Tamales - corn dough rolls with pockets stuffed with chicken or pork, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled
- Chicharrones - fried or roasted pork fat and skin
- Patacones, maduros, tajadas - patacones, or platanos, are fried green plantains, salted; maduros are riper plantains that are sweeter; tajadas are baked with cinnamon
- Carimañolas - fried rolls stuffed with pureed yuca, meat, vegetables and hard-boiled eggs
- Tortillas de maiz con queso blanco - corn tortillas with white cheese
- Yuca frita - fried yuca root served in place of patacones as a side dish
- Arroz con guandu - rice cooked with beans and spices, often in coconut milk
Seafood native dishes:
- Ceviche - a mixture of raw fish, marinated in lime juice, with onion and coriander. The acidity of the fruit juice "cooks" the fish
- Corvina - locally caught sea bass, fried or baked and served whole, usually with lime or lemon
Main native dishes:
- Arroz con pollo -chicken usually slow cooked with vegetables and spices and served with rice
- Ropa Vieja - literally "old clothes"; made of beef and tomato sauce, served with rice
- Sancocho - an extremely popular local stew, especially during Carnaval, usually made with chicken vegetables, tomatoes and coriander
Native Desserts:
- Pastel de tres leches - a cake soaked in evaporated milk, condensed milk and cream
- Raspados - ice topped with sweet syrup and condensed milk
- Flans - egg custard with caramelized sauce
- Cocades - A light biscuit-like dessert made from shredded coconut, eggs and sugar
Uchuvas, guanabana, ñamé, granadilla, nampi, camote, otoe and plantain are popular fruits and vegitables brought into Panama city daily.
Native drinks:
- Chichas - juice with water added
- Chicheme - a corn-based drink with sugar, cinnamon and water
- Batidos - smoothies
Mini beef empinadas. ^
pastry filled with meat, cheese, potato or vegetables. Sometimes beef or shrimp is also offered.
Patacones or Tostones ^
made from green plantains peeled and cut cross-wise, fried twice.
Ropa Vieja ^^
literally "old clothes"; made of beef and tomato sauce, served with rice
MANGO-BANANA SMOOTHIE:
- 2 1/2 cups peeled, ripe mango chunks
- 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1/2 banana, peeled
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
Freeze mango chunks 1 - 1 1/2 hours, or until firm.
Just before serving, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into chilled glasses and serve immediately.
Makes 2 servings - 260 calories per serving - 2 fat grams