Panama is different from any other country in Central America; a rich and diverse history created a wonderful melting pot of cultural differences.
A brief insight into what to expect when you visit Panama.
Typical Panamanian Food:
Sancocho: typical Panamanian chicken soup.
Empanadas: these are fried or baked, and may contain cheese, chicken or ground beef.
Tortillas: often eaten at breakfast, these are fried and thick, made out of corn.
Patacones: fried pressed plantains sometimes filled with meat and or seafood mixtures
Platanitos: fried sliced plantain
Carimañola: fried yucca rolls with ground beef in the middle.
Arroz con pollo: typical rice cooked with saffron and chicken.
Tamales: these come wrapped in plantain leaves and are boiled.
Panamanian Music:
Reggaeton, Plena (Panamanian version of Reggaeton mixed with Reggae), Reggae, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Típico (folk music) are all common here in Panama. To listen to some samples visit: reggae.com.pa.
Panamanian Measurements:
Because of the large influence the US has had on Panama measurements are both metric and imperial: meat and delicatessen are sold in pounds, soft drinks are sold in litres and millilitres, gasoline is sold in gallons, people will say their weight in pounds, people will say their height in meters and centimetres, fabric, rope, cables, etc. are sold in yards or feet, distances are measured in kilometers, areas are measured in square meters and altitude is given in meters.
The official language of Panama is Spanish however much of the slang has roots in English. For more information on Panamanian Slang see our blog.