If there is an element that captivates the imagination of every tourist when visiting a country, it is a good story. It connects with people, it allows to understand collective thinking and inspire us to live new experiences. In gastronomy, history helps explain why people incorporate culinary cultures into their daily lives that are not native to their country. Italian food has a long history in Panama, to the point that we see spaghetti with tomato sauce even in the most remote interior town.
From Popular Fondas to Trattorias
Since the beginning of the 20th century, every Italian who arrived in Panama was directly involved in the popular food business, working hard to fulfill the Panamanian palate and of foreigners who came to work in the construction of the canal. It came so much to everyone’s taste that the same Panamanian food begins to add Italian ingredients and seasonings, and so did the Italians. Over time, the popular “fondas” of Italians began to evolve towards Trattorias, this second generation improved the perception of service that diners received, now they were served by a waiter and the food was selected from a menu. However, despite the improvements in the experience, the Milanese and Bolognese were still accompanied with rice, just like in “fondas”, you could even order one of the classic soups with white rice. They introduced the tablecloths that are now found in any popular Panamanian restaurant.
Authentic Panamanian Italian Food
The first restaurants in Panama were Italian, although they were not authentic Italian food, were authentic to the history that preceded them and to the taste of their clients. Garlic and parsley in clams, Creole sauce in Bolognese meat, and lasagna. In Panama, when rice is not served, pasta is eaten, this shows how close is this culinary relationship. Restaurants such as Napoli, Las Américas, Tamburelli and Sorrento, are pioneers and have kept that proximity with Panamanian taste, and every foreign visitor feels it, in the service, even in flavors, it is a unique experience.
Today, More Italian than Ever
The Italian food today in Panama, is focused on its roots, creating intimate experiences that take its guests on a journey through regions of the old continent. The current history is different from that of its pioneers, the country has evolved socially and economically, the chefs and owners, many already with titles of Chef or administration. Needless to say, they already have a privileged place in Panama’s varied gastronomic offer. At Pomodoro restaurant, diners find the best of Italian cuisine, with a modern bohemian atmosphere and more than 120 ways to eat pasta. Caffe Per Due, created Pizza Bianca, designated Best Pizza 2017 by people choice and won the Panama Pizzarocks 2017. A Mangiare, lead by the talented chef Gisella Contini, offers a varied menu of handmade pasta original from Italy. Each one is proof of a generation of Italian restaurants that created intimate environments, and are faithful to their regional cuisine. The good thing is that these new restaurants have not brought out the old ones, it is the opposite, now the offer is much wider, and both local and foreign diners love both styles, each with its personal history and full of flavors. Nothing better for a tourist than having delicious options to choose and Panama has it, beyond that, it has stories, those that nobody forgets.
