Panamanian cuisine

Panamanian cooking is a crossroads: a Spanish base, African and Caribbean influence, and traces of the canal builders' kitchens.

Building the canal brought workers from Barbados, China and India, and their food stayed: Caribbean coconut rice and Chinese noodles have long been Panamanian.

Culantro, a sharp-tasting herb that survives long cooking, is used here more than coriander and defines the flavour of most soups.