Esencias Panameñas

Name: Esencias Panameñas
Address: 2800 10th Street NE, Washington D.C., DC, 20017, US
Telephone: +12024305960
Price range: $$
Rating: 4.2

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Esencias Panameñas

Authentic Panamanian cuisine by Chef Yadira. Full-Service + Drop-Off Catering & Nationwide Shipping
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Esencias Panameñas, LLC, unlike a typical Latin cuisine restaurant, will provide a unique combination of authentic Panamanian food at value pricing with a fun and entertaining atmosphere. Chef Yadira is a native from Panama and she pays tribute to her place of birth through traditional dishes made with staple food products, such as corn, coconut, culantro (not cilantro) and rice.

07/21/2024

Happy National Ice Cream Day and National Ice Cream Month!🍦 The perfect way to celebrate? Ordering Chef Yadira Stamp’s helado casero (homemade ice cream) for pickup or delivery.

The most popular ice cream in Panama is Grape Nut ice cream. Chef Yadira says, “When I came to the United States, I would always ask for grape-nut ice cream and people would look at me as if I were crazy; they had just never heard of it. So I decided to make my own, and of course, I could not find the main ingredient—the grape nut. Each time I would ask for it, I would be directed to the cereal aisle in the grocery store. It turns out that the grape nut is neither a fruit nor a nut, but a brand of cereal called Grape-Nuts! I decided to purchase the cereal and make it work. I purchased a coffee grinder and ground the cereal clusters to create this wonderful flavor.”

Enjoy ice cream flavors such as Grape Nut, Rum Raisin, Soursop, and Duran (Panamanian) Coffee from Esencias Panamenas. The recipes for her Grape Nut and Butter Brickle ice cream flavors are in her cookbook, Panama on a Plate. Order at EsenciasPanamenas.com!

07/18/2024

Happy National Tropical Fruits Day!🍌🥑🍉 Popular tropical fruits used in Panamanian dishes/drinks, include:

Banana, Breadfruit (fruta pan), Carambola (star fruit), Cashew (pepita de maranon), Coconut (coco), Coffea (café), Custard apple (chirimoya), Guava (guayaba), Jackfruit (yaca), Lychee, Mamoncillo/Quenepa, Mango, Papaya (With ripe papayas, we eat as-is, make milkshakes, or papaya juice and with green papayas we make a dessert called cabanga, which looks a little like cocada, but cocada is 100% coconut, shredded and candied. Cabanga is 75% green papaya and 25% coconut baked in a corn husk.), Passion fruit (maracuya), Peach palm (pixbae), Pineapple (pina), Plantain (platano), Hibiscus Roselle (sorrell/saril), Soursop (guanabana) (Esencias Panamenas also makes a soursop ice cream!), and Tamarind (tamarindo).

Of all of the fruits listed above, I would like to make special mention of the peach palm fruit. Pixbae, pixvae, pifá, pibá, or peach palm fruit, is a typical fruit in Panama that grows in large bunches of a palm tree. The fruit is a drupe, with an edible pulp surrounding a single seed. They can be red, orange or yellow when ripe, depending on the palm tree. It is usually in season Sep - Dec. The fruit is first boiled in salted water for about 2 hours. 92% of the fruit is useable, including the skin, flesh, and seed.

It's compared to a firm sweet potato, and the flavor to hominy, dry squash, or roasted chestnut, and is rich in Vitamin A, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. It's hard to find in the States, I usually purchase in the Caribbean market, labeled as "Chontaduro".

Today, with the appearance of new markets focusing on imported goods and new consumer habits, the necessity of developing crops of ‘forgotten’ species, fruit like pixbae has become evident. I recently made cream of pixbae, as well as pixbae croquettes filled with cheese.

Which tropical fruit is your favorite?

07/16/2024

Today is National Corn Fritter Day! Chef Yadira Stamp has a delicious recipe in her cookbook for Torrejas De Maíz (sweet corn fritters).

Sweet corn (also known as “new” corn) cakes or fritters are a traditional dish in Panama. They are consumed mainly during weekend breakfast or brunch. They are eaten either by themselves or accompanied by white cheese, stewed hot dogs, or pork rinds (chicharrón).

Find the recipe in her cookbook, Panama on a Plate, at EsenciasPanamenas.com!

07/14/2024

Chef Yadira Stamp’s favorite Panamanian twist on mac and cheese is called Johnny Marzetti.

Johnny Marzetti was invented in the 1920s in Ohio by Teresa Marzetti, who named the dish after her brother-in-law Johnny. The dish was brought to Panama in the 1940s by the US military. Military members and civilians who lived in the Panama Canal Zone are called “Zonians,” and this was one of their staple dishes. It became popular in Panama City because of the civilians who worked on base but lived off base.

In Panama City, they called it Johnny Mazetti (with no “r”), and the original recipe was changed to remove some ingredients, such as mushrooms and Arturo sauce, replacing them with peas and carrots.

Make this recipe at home by following the steps below:

Ingredients:
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 tbsp + 1 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
1 lb celery heads, onions, & green sweet peppers, finely chopped
2 lb ground beef (90% lean)
½ tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp oregano, Italian seasoning, & parsley, dried
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 8 oz can tomato paste
1 8 oz can tomato puree
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 14 oz bottle salad olives
1 lb frozen peas & carrots, thawed
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13-inch x 9-inch glass baking dish with oil spray.
2. For noodles: Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until just al dente, about 5 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of macaroni cooking water, then drain and rinse macaroni in colander under cold running water and set aside.
3. For the meat sauce: Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add celery, onions, and green peppers and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Remove veggies and place in a bowl, leaving fat in the pot. Add the ground beef, breaking up meat into pieces with a spoon, and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir back in veggie mixture, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, Italian seasoning, parsley, and pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cup of macaroni cooking water, tomato paste, tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, olives, and peas and carrots, and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until paste has cooked out and flavors have melded, for 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in noodles with a spoon until well combined.
4. To assemble: Place half of noodle-meat mixture in prepared dish, followed by half of cheese; spread evenly over noodles. Lay remaining noodle-meat mixture on top of the first half and spread remaining cheese evenly over top.
5. Spray sheet of aluminum foil with oil spray and cover Johnny Mazetti. Set baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, covered. Remove foil and continue to bake until top layer of Johnny Mazetti is brown, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven, cool for 30 minutes, and serve.

07/13/2024

Happy National French Fry Day!🍟 Instead of the regular potato-based fries you might eat, why not try Chef Yadira Stamp’s Yuca Frita Con Salsa de Culantro (Yuca Fries with Culantro Aoili)?

Yuca (aka cassava) is a root vegetable that is 100% gluten free, high fiber, and low fat. This makes yuca fries a healthier alternative to regular french fries!

Find this easy-to-make recipe in her cookbook, Panama on a Plate, available at EsenciasPanamenas.com.

07/07/2024

Recently, Chef Yadira Stamp was featured in a Martha Stewart article called “10 Kitchen Tools That Make Cooking So Much Easier, According to Chefs.” In this article, she discusses one of her favorite tools, a dough cutter and scraper.

Chef Yadira says, “It’s the Swiss army knife of bakery kitchen tools” and uses the scraper to scrape the sides of the bowl when making doughs, dislodging batters or whipped creams. It’s also great for cutting dough before weighing or shaping it, for scraping off any dough stuck to the countertop, or for smoothing out the frosting on cakes.

The link to buy her recommended scraper can be found here: https://amzn.to/3VKYIe0

Check out the full article here: www.marthastewart.com/essential-kitchen-tools-8631511

07/03/2024

Torrejas de Bacalao, Platano Frito, Pargo Rojo entero relleno y frito, & more…we can see your mouth drooling from here!

These recipes are available in ’s cookbook, Panama on a Plate! You can grab a signed copy exclusively through our website. This cookbook makes a fantastic gift that supports our small business!

Order your signed copy here: https://bit.ly/3p4YLoy

07/01/2024

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE!!

The election did not turn out the way I had hoped, but I want to take this moment to thank you all for your support and encouragement over the course of the various group competitions – from Top 20, to Top 15, to Top 10, to Top 5, to Group Finals, and lastly, to the Wildcard Round. Although I did not win, I want you to know that your help was invaluable and kept me fighting until the end.

There are so many people to thank, I am afraid I will leave someone out, but here goes: to my marketing team for the many posts they did on IG and FB, to Sra Carmela Gobern for the many emails she distributed on CyberNews, as well as sent to her personal distribution list, to those that voted for me daily, as well as those who chose to pay for votes, and to those who helped to spread the word and shared my posts to get more people to vote for me, you have my heartfelt thanks.

Thank you again for being a part of my campaign. Without your help, I would not have gotten as far as I did. I am very humble by the support everyone gave me and will always be indebted to you.

🇵🇦

07/01/2024

06/30/2024

Chef Yadira Stamp placed 2nd in the Group Finals round of the Favorite Chef competition so she is now in the Wildcard round — this is her last chance to place in the Quarterfinals so she needs your vote! Every vote counts and voting ends today!

When you vote for Chef Yadira, you advance her closer to winning a feature on the cover of Taste of Home magazine, the opportunity to cook with Chef Carla Hall, and take home $25,000! This is a huge opportunity for Chef Yadira to bring awareness of the wonderful gastronomy and sustainability of Panamanian cuisine.

This competition has FOUR elimination rounds between now and the end of July, and only one chef will be declared the winner.

Help Chef Yadira make it all the way to victory by casting your vote today! Give this spicy Chef a shout-out by sharing this post as well!

You can vote here: https://bit.ly/3UWZPIz

06/28/2024

Happy National Ceviche Day!🐟🍋🌶️

Ceviche is a dish that originated in Peru that consists of fish, a combination of other seafood, or both, marinated in some type of citrus fruit. The citrus fruits that are commonly used to make ceviche are the lime and the lemon, although historically, ceviche was only made with the sour orange.

Additional ingredients in the Panamanian preparation include culantro, pickled onions, and hot peppers, such as the scotch bonnet. We used to pair ceviche with saltine soda crackers. However, nowadays it is eaten with other sides, including patacones or platanitos.

In Panama, we use Corvina fish to make ceviche, which is firm and meaty; firm enough to withstand the acid in the citrus and not mush away. However, Corvina is not easily found in the United States, so it is prepared with another firm and meaty fish such as snapper, seabass, or swai.

You can order Chef Yadira Stamp’s ceviche for pick-up, delivery, or shipping OR make it at home yourself by grabbing her cookbook, Panama on a Plate, at EsenciasPanamenas.com!

06/28/2024

Chef Yadira Stamp placed 2nd in the Group Finals round of the Favorite Chef competition so she is now in the Wildcard round — this is her last chance to place in the Quarterfinals so she needs your vote! Every vote counts!

When you vote for Chef Yadira, you advance her closer to winning a feature on the cover of Taste of Home magazine, the opportunity to cook with Chef Carla Hall, and take home $25,000! This is a huge opportunity for Chef Yadira to bring awareness of the wonderful gastronomy and sustainability of Panamanian cuisine.

This competition has FOUR elimination rounds between now and the end of July, and only one chef will be declared the winner.

Help Chef Yadira make it all the way to victory by casting your vote today! Give this spicy Chef a shout-out by sharing this post as well!

You can vote here: https://bit.ly/3UWZPIz

06/27/2024

Today is the LAST DAY to vote for Chef Yadira Stamp in the Favorite Chef competition for her to advance to Quarterfinals!

Only 1 competitor will make it to round 6 for the Quarterfinals, so it is important that you vote today so that she can make it to round 6! Competitors who place second in the Group Finals will compete in a shortened Wildcard round for a chance to advance to the Quarterfinals.This competition has FIVE elimination rounds between now and the end of July, and only one chef will be declared the winner.

Help Chef Yadira make it all the way to victory by casting your vote today! Give this spicy Chef a shout-out by sharing this post as well!

You can vote here: https://bit.ly/3UWZPIz

06/26/2024

Today is National Coconut Day!🥥 All of the dishes shown here are made with some form of coconut—a staple in Panamanian dishes!

The coconut tree is a member of the palm tree family. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which botanically is a drupe, not a nut. The name comes from the old Portuguese word coco, meaning "head" or "skull", after the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features.

Coconuts were introduced by Europeans to the Americas during the colonial era in the Columbian exchange, but there is evidence of a possible pre-Columbian introduction of Pacific coconuts to Panama by Austronesian sailors. The coconut palm is grown throughout the tropics for decoration, as well as for its many culinary and non culinary uses; virtually every part of the coconut palm can be used by humans in some manner and has significant economic value. It is one of the most useful trees in the world. Green or young coconuts flesh is thin and soft and usually eaten as-is. Some vegans drink the water from the young coconut first thing in the morning on a fast.

Freshly shredded mature coconut meat, known as "grated coconut," "shredded coconut," or "coconut flakes," is used in the extraction of coconut milk. Dried coconuts are one of the main staples in the traditional dishes in the countryside of Panama, as well as in the indigenous regions. The milk is used in savory dishes such as rice and peas, coconut rice, one pot, and guacho, as well as in soups, like run down, moe, dule masi. The grated coconut is used in sweets and pastries, as in cocadas (candied coconut) or cabanga (candied green papaya), guisada, enyucado (yuca pone), and kekis. Both coconut water and coconut milk can be used in cocktails and mocktails.

All of the dishes shown can be found in her cookbook, Panama on a Plate, available at EsenciasPanamenas.com!

06/25/2024

Happy National Fish Day!🐟 Celebrate by picking your favorite dish — tell us in the comments:

🐟Pargo Rojo Entero Relleno y Frito (Fried Bone-In Red Snapper Fish Stuffed with Veggies)
🐟Filete de Pescado al Ajillo (Fish Fillet in Garlic Butter Sauce)
🐟Pescado Entero en Salsa Escabeche (Fried Bone-In Fish in Escovitch Sauce)

All 3 of the recipes for these delicious dishes can be found in Chef Yadira Stamp’s cookbook, Panama on a Plate, which you can grab at EsenciasPanamenas.com!

Don’t want to make it yourself? Order any of these for pick-up or delivery online instead!

06/24/2024

Chef Yadira has entered Round 5 of voting for the Favorite Chef competition—and this round will END on June 27th! Thanks to you, Chef Yadira Stamp has advanced! You two are shaping up to be a great team.

Only 1 competitor will make it to round 6 for the Quarterfinals, so it is important that you continue to vote daily through June 27th so that she can make it to round 6! Competitors who place second in the Group Finals will compete in a shortened Wildcard round for a chance to advance to the Quarterfinals.This competition has FIVE elimination rounds between now and the end of July, and only one chef will be declared the winner.

Help Chef Yadira make it all the way to victory by casting your vote today! Give this spicy Chef a shout-out by sharing this post as well!

You can vote here: https://bit.ly/3UWZPIz

06/19/2024

Chef Yadira has entered Round 4 of voting for the Favorite Chef competition—and this round will END TOMORROW on June 20th! Thanks to you, Chef Yadira Stamp has advanced! You two are shaping up to be a great team.

The top 5 competitors will make it to round 5 for the Group Finals, so it is important that you continue to vote daily through June 20th so that she can make it to round 5! This competition has SIX elimination rounds between now and the end of July, and only one chef will be declared the winner.

Help Chef Yadira make it all the way to victory by casting your vote today! Give this spicy Chef a shout-out by sharing this post as well!

You can vote here: https://bit.ly/3UWZPIz

06/16/2024

Buenos dias

Disfrutando de una taza de y unas tortillas con queso blanco y tasajo.

Cafe Duran y tortillas de venta en https://esenciaspanamenas.com

06/16/2024

Today is National Tortilla Day!🌽

Panamanian corn tortillas are eaten mainly at breakfast. They are made with hominy corn that is cooked and then grind to make a dough. The dough is seasoned, then shaped round similar to that of a hamburger patty, and fried. It is mostly accompanied with a salty queso blanco (white cheese).

Panamanian tortillas should not be confused with Mexican or Central American tortillas since those are prepared with nixtamalized corn flour and are flattened with a tortilla press machine.

You can grab Chef Yadira Stamp’s tasty tortillas at EsenciasPanamenas.com!

Want to make them yourself from scratch? Grab the recipe in her cookbook, Panama On A Plate. You’ll also need a corn grinder—you can find a link to her recommended corn grinder here: https://amzn.to/3Klq4Cr

06/14/2024

Chef Yadira has entered Round 4 of voting for the Favorite Chef competition—and this round will END on June 20th! THANKS TO YOU, Chef Yadira Stamp has advanced! You two are shaping up to be a great team.

The top 5 competitors will make it to round 5 for the Group Finals, so it is important that you continue to vote daily through June 20th so that she can make it to round 5! This competition has SIX elimination rounds between now and the end of July, and only one chef will be declared the winner.

Help Chef Yadira make it all the way to victory by casting your vote today! Give this spicy Chef a shout-out by sharing this post as well!

You can vote here: https://bit.ly/3UWZPIz

06/11/2024

Happy National Corn Day!🌽 Corn has been a part of the Panamanian diet from the pre-Hispanic era to the present day, which is why it has had very strong roots in the traditional gastronomy of our Isthmus.

According to scientific studies, the existence of corn in Panama dates back more than 7,000 years, finding evidence that the Indian inhabitants of the Isthmus already consumed it. Maize as it is known today comes from a wild species called teosinte that grew in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica and was domesticated until obtaining the variants that exist today.

Of all the corns that exist, yellow corn is the one that is generally consumed in Panama. It is grown mainly in the Azuero region of the Los Santos province, an area with excellent agricultural and climatic conditions. Panamanians carry a love for corn in their blood, which is why our gastronomy is defined by corn dishes full of tradition. Both sweet corn (aka new corn) with its soft and fresh flavor, as well as hominy corn (aka old corn) produced from dried maize kernels that have been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization, are used in traditional Panamanian dishes.

In my first cookbook Panama On A Plate, we concentrated on dishes made with hominy corn (aka old corn or maíz viejo). Hominy is produced from dried maize (corn) kernels that have been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization. “Nextamalli” is the Nahuatl (a Mexican Indigenous language) word for “hominy.” The corn is soaked in a hot alkaline solution of lye or lime, then washed thoroughly to remove the bitter flavor of the solution. Alkalinity helps dissolve hemicellulose, the major glue-like component of the maize cell walls, loosens the hulls from the kernels, as softens the corn.

You can find hominy corn canned and ready to use or dried, in which case you can prepare it as you would prepare dried beans (i.e., soaking then cooking them). In Mexican cooking, the raw corn is either finely ground into corn flour to make masa or coarsely ground into corn meal. In Panamanian cooking, however, we soak and cook the hominy corn first, and then we grind it while it’s wet, using a mill and making a somewhat sticky dough. The wet dough is then used to make traditional fried dishes such as corn empanadas, corn tortillas, or almojábanos. It is also used to make our corn tamale wrapped in banana leaves (tamal de hoja) or our corn tamale cooked in a Dutch oven like grits (tamal de olla). There is also a traditional drink made with hominy corn that is served either hot hominy porridge (chicheme caliente) or a cold hominy drink (chicheme frío).

In this edition, I will concentrate on the use of fresh ears of corn (aka new corn or maiz nuevo). Just like with hominy corn, we grind fresh corn to make most of our dishes. The main difference is that the fresh corn does not always require cooking before grinding.

As for the Panamanian delicacies made with sweet corn (aka “new” corn), are the divine corn fritters that are served with cheese and coffee; the bollos or corn medallions from Chorrera, steamed in corn husks are usually accompanied with roasted meat. Or two very traditional dishes from the Chiriquí region, the Serén, which is a soup or cream of corn made with vegetables, meat, or chicken, and the Aro de maiz nuevo, which is a sweet corn bundt bread.

06/07/2024

Chef Yadira has entered Round 3 of voting for the Favorite Chef competition—and this round will END on June 13th! More than 1/2 of the entire competition was cut — But THANKS TO YOU, Chef Yadira Stamp has advanced! You two are shaping up to be a great team.

The top 10 competitors will make it to round 4, so it is important that you continue to vote daily through June 13th so that she can make it to round 4. This competition has SEVEN elimination rounds between now and the end of July, and only one chef will be declared the winner.

Help Chef Yadira make it all the way to victory by casting your vote today! Give this spicy Chef a shout-out by sharing this post as well!

You can vote here: https://bit.ly/3UWZPIz

06/05/2024

Happy World Plantain Day!

Plantains are oversized bananas. However, although plantain is a fruit, it must be cooked – either fried, baked, or boiled. Because they are eaten at all stages of ripeness (green through black), plantains are very versatile: Green plantains are starchy and potato-like, whereas as Ripe plantains are soft and sweet and taste more like a conventional ripe banana. Depending on their ripeness, plantains will also vary nutritionally – the major difference is that ripe plantain is higher in sugar and green plantain is higher in starch. The starch that green plantains contain is known as resistant starch, which is a type of fiber that promotes digestive health.

Which is your preference – Green or Ripe? And how do you like it prepared – fried, baked, or boiled? Customers in the DMV area can order ripe plantains from EsenciasPanamenas.com – either fried (platano frito) or baked (platano en tentacion).

06/03/2024

Chef Yadira has entered Round 2 of voting for the competition—and she is currently in 2nd place and this round will END on June 6th! More than 1/2 of the entire competition was cut — But THANKS TO YOU, has advanced! You two are shaping up to be a great team.

The top 15 competitors will make it to round 3, so it is important that you continue to vote daily until June 6th so that she can make it to round 3. This competition has EIGHT elimination rounds between now and the end of July, and only one chef will be declared the winner.

Help Chef Yadira make it all the way to victory by casting your vote today! You can find the link in our bio. Give this spicy Chef a shout-out by sharing this post as well!

06/03/2024

Chef Yadira Stamp has entered Round 2 of voting for the Favorite Chef competition—and she is currently in 2nd place and this round will END on June 6th! More than 1/2 of the entire competition was cut — But THANKS TO YOU, Chef Yadira Stamp has advanced! You two are shaping up to be a great team.

The top 15 competitors will make it to round 3, so it is important that you continue to vote daily until June 6th so that she can make it to round 3. This competition has EIGHT elimination rounds between now and the end of July, and only one chef will be declared the winner.

Help Chef Yadira make it all the way to victory by casting your vote today! Give this spicy Chef a shout-out by sharing this post as well!

You can vote here: https://bit.ly/3UWZPIz

05/31/2024

On May 30th of each year, the National Day of the Black Ethnic Group is celebrated in Panama, with the purpose of highlighting the scientific, cultural, economic, and labor contributions that this important racial group has made to the history of our isthmus.

Although it is true that throughout the month of May different activities have been carried out alluding to this racial group, Law 9 of 2000 declared May 30th of each year as a Civic Day and the commemoration of the "Day of the National Black Ethnic Group.”

The Black Ethnic Group has contributed since the arrival of the slaves who were brought by the Spaniards during the colonization for the construction of the Panama Canal, with the development and growth of Panama. In the same way, it has favored strengthening our culture, gastronomy, and national identity.

The original idea for this celebration was born from the inspiration and vision of one of Panama’s native sons, the Honorable Claral Richards Thompson, an Afro Panamanian from the Province of Chiriqui, who was a famous discus thrower, as well as renowned baseball player. The Legislator Osman Gomez, in fulfillment of a campaign promise he made to the Honorable Richards Thompson, took the matter up with the Legislative Assembly as a first draft of the above-mentioned law. Much later the Human Rights Commission of the legislative body took up the draft and welcomed it for due discussion.

A parade of the Black Ethnic Group is held every year to commemorate this date, as well as conferences on black health. The celebration takes place throughout the country. In Barú, for example, you’ll find the ‘Dianas De Los Bomberos’, a musical event that kicks off at 5 AM. And while Panama City plays host to many of the events, some of the best-known celebrations are in the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Colón, and Chiriquí. At the street fairs, families line the sidewalks with chairs and umbrellas, the children in tow. Vendors set up along parade routes and in green spaces, many selling Afro-Panamanian delicacies such as guacho de mariscos, a traditional seafood soup with rice, much like a New Orleans gumbo, saus, which is pickled pig feet, with plenty cucumber, lime, and hot peppers, codfish fritters, fried fish with patacones, chicharrones (pork rinds), plantintá, empanadas, and isinglass. If you prefer the sweets route, then the cocadas (candied coconut) or enyucado (yuca pudding) are the best.

The streets are always packed by the time the parade begins, filling the space with music, dance, and rhythm. The center of attention are the Afro-ethnic groups who are famous for their bright colored showy outfits, and unique dance styles. Students of all grade levels participate in the parade, all opting to wear African-style clothing instead of their school uniform. Members of the community, politicians, and band members support Afro heritage by dressing in diverse colors, as well. Anyone who has attended a parade in Panama knows event schedules are more like a suggestion, since the party doesn’t end when the parade does. In this case, the party carries on until the last day of the month.

It all culminates on the last day of the month – May 31st, with the Black Ethnicity celebration, a grand event taking place in the Palenque district in the province of Colón at 12 noon. This event is organized by The Society of Friends of the West Indian Museum of Panama (SAMAAP), which is a civic non-profit organization. They are focused on “supporting and sponsoring activities that contribute to the social and cultural development of the community and feature the best aspects of Afro-Caribbean culture.”

In Panama there have been achievements related to the issue of the rights of Afro-descendants and one of them was the creation of Braid Day, which is celebrated on the third Monday of May, to pay tribute to one of the hairstyles of the culture of the Afro Panamanian population.

National Black Ethnicity Day should be remembered as the day to commemorate the law that ended the cruel practice of slavery in New Granada in 1851 in the country which today constitutes the Republic of Panama.

Address

2800 10th Street NE
Washington D.C., DC
20017

Telephone

+12024305960

Website

http://www.esenciaspanamenas.com/

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Voting for Chef Yadira Stamp to be on the cover of Taste of Home magazine, cook with Chef Carla Hall, and take home $25,000 begins soon! This is a huge opportunity for Chef Yadira to bring awareness of the wonderful gastronomy and sustainability of Panamanian cuisine. The 1st round of voting begins May 20th and ends May 30th. Please vote for her here: https://bit.ly/3UWZPIz

The face you make when you find all these delicious recipes and more in Chef Yadira’s cookbook Panama on a Plate!👀😮‍💨🤤 Grab a signed copy at EsenciasPanamenas.com!

Carimañolas are one of Panama’s staple foods! They’re usually eaten during breakfast and are filled with some kind of meat or cheese, depending on the province within Panama. Chef Yadira serves these with a tamarind sauce! Grab the recipe from her cookbook, Panama on a Plate, and make these yourself at EsenciasPanamenas.com! OR, make things even easier on yourself and order these ready-made on our website. We ship nationwide directly to your door and also offer local delivery/pick-up within the DMV.

Look no further - we have the perfect game day party platters available for local pick-up or delivery!🏈 Forget the game...with these options, the real winner will be the food spread! Meat Lovers Combo: Baked mango BBQ wings, sweet & sour meatballs, and a side of yuca fries with tamarind dipping sauce. Choose from beef or chicken for your meatballs. Veggie Lovers Combo: Sweet & sour veggieballs, veggie carimanolas (yuca balls stuffed with veggie ‘meat’), and veggie empanadas. Panamanian Platter: Mango BBQ wings, carimanolas, and empanadas. Choose from chicken or beef filling for your carimanolas and empanadas. 🏈Half-tray: $85 (serves 10-12) 🏈Full-tray: $160 (serves 20-25) Pre-order by Wednesday, February 7th by 11pm for pick-up at Tastemakers (2800 10th Street NE) on Saturday, Feb 10th (12pm-5pm) or Sunday, Feb 11th (12pm-6pm). Order at EsenciasPanamenas.com!

Happy International Hot & Spicy Food Day!🌶🔥 Did you know you can order Chef Yadira’s Empanadas de Maiz in mild or spicy flavors with either veggie, beef, or turkey filling? That’s not all she makes spicy either! Check out all the apps she can make caliente y picante under her shippable menu at EsenciasPanamenas.com!

Need an awesome gift for a friend, family member, or…yourself!? 🎁 We’ve got you. Christmas Combos: 🎁Hot Sauce + Panama on a Plate Cookbook 🎁Rum Cake + Panama on a Plate Cookbook 🎁Fruitcake + Panama on a Plate Cookbook Available for local pick-up/delivery—or we can ship anywhere in the US! Grab these combos by December 15th. 🎁Pickup/Delivery: https://bit.ly/40Z3838 Local Pick-up Location: Tastemakers DC 2800 10th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017 Days & Hours For Pick-up: Wednesday, December 20: 11AM-6PM Thursday, December 21: 11AM-6PM Friday, December 22: 11AM-6PM Saturday, December 23: 11AM-6PM Sunday, December 24: 11AM-4PM 🎁Shippable: https://bit.ly/3R32GMH Days For Shipping: Monday, December 18 Tuesday, December 19 Wednesday, December 20

Today, Chef Yadira is walking us through her Plátanos en Tentación (candied sweet plantains) recipe! Plátanos en Tentación is a typical dish of countries in Central America, such as Colombia (Caribbean Coast), Costa Rica, and Panama. It consists of extremely ripe plantains cooked in butter, raspadura - aka panela or piloncillo (unrefined whole cane sugar) - and other spices to the point where the plantain is gooey. Typically, Plátanos en Tentación are served as sides with dinner, especially with arroz con pollo (rice with chicken). However, they can also make a great holiday side option to go with your turkey or ham! Order yours here: https://bit.ly/46w24FM

🚨Christmas Early Bird Special!🚨 From 11/24 - 11/30 get 10% off Christmas Pre-Orders & Christmas Fruit Cake Orders only & free shipping on Christmas Pre-Orders $199+ using code CHRISTMAS! (Free shipping cannot be combined with other specials and excludes taxes and discounts) The last day to place your Christmas orders is December 15th and all orders will ship out December 18th - 20th. Place your order at esenciaspanamenas.com!

Did you know these fun facts? What facts do you know about Panama that you would add to this list?🌴

What makes Chef Yadira’s food so special? A few ingredients include: 💕Love 👩‍🍳Passion 🥘Authenticity 🍴Tradition Listen to Yadira talk about how she incorporates these in everything she cooks!

Noviembre, Mes de la Patria! Did you know there are 5 major holidays in Panama during the month of November? These series of holidays are known as “Fiestas Patrias”. They are: November 3rd: Separation from Colombia. Panama seceded from Colombia on November 3, 1903 November 4th: Flag Day. Panama adopted the National Flag, the National Shield, and the National Anthem, as National Symbols (aka Simbolos Patrios) on November 4, 1949. November 5th: Colon Day. The residents of the Province of Colon were successful in convincing the Colombian troops stationed there to forgo attacking Panama City on November 5, 1903. Without this activity, the Colombian military might have increased its military superiority and crushed the independence movement. November 10th: Los Santos Day. The First Cry of Independence of the 'Villa de los Santos' is known as the historical event that occurred in the Province of Los Santos on November 10, 1821. November 28th: Independence from Spain. Panama gained its independence from Spain and joined New Granada to become the Republic of Colombia on November 28, 1821. Today, Chef Yadira took a minute to talk about the history behind Panamanian gastronomy. Tune in to learn a little about Panama’s history!

National Spread Joy Day was yesterday!☀️ Here, Chef Yadira talks about how she spreads joy - through her cooking! How do you spread joy in the world?

As Hispanic Heritage Month continues, let’s play some Panamanian History Trivia! How many did you get correct? Tell us in the comments!

Thank you for your glowing review, Sayah!⭐️ Interested in catering your next event with us? Click here: bit.ly/3EyLHfv

The game day appetizers of your dreams are here! 🏈 Available as half trays (serves 10-12) and full trays (serves 20-25). Which combo are you grabbing? ⬇️ Meat Lovers Combo: The perfect meat lovers combo for your super bowl watch party! Includes baked mango BBQ wings, sweet & sour meatballs (beef or chicken), and a side of yuca fries with tamarind dipping sauce. Panamanian Combo: This party combo includes baked mango BBQ wings, carimanolas (yuca balls with filling) with tamarind dipping sauce, and baked flour empanadas. Choose from chicken or beef filling for your carimanolas and empanadas. Veggie Lovers Combo: Comes with delicious sweet & sour veggie meatballs, veggie carimanolas (yuca balls with veggie crumbles and mixed veggies) with tamarind dipping sauce, and baked flour veggie empanadas. Order online for delivery or pick-up at our Tastemakers location in DC (2800 10th St NE here: https://bit.ly/3Z6J9yz

Our hot sauce is great on…everything!🌶 What do you put hot sauce on? Grab our sauce here: bit.ly/3KgX27m

Happy National French Fry Day!🍟 Instead of the regular potato-based fries you might eat, why not try Chef Yadira’s yuca fries? Yuca (aka cassava) is a root vegetable that is 100% gluten free, high fiber, and low fat. This makes yuca fries a healthier alternative to regular french fries! Peel your yuca, cut off the skin, and cut it into fry shapes. Boil them for 10 minutes and then put them into an ice bath to cool. Devein the fries and then fry them until golden brown; drain oil from fries on platter lined with paper towel. Transfer fries to platter and sprinkle with salt. Serve! Eat them as-is or try them with ketchup or a culantro aioli!

Washington City Paper’s Best of DC Voting is happening now and we need your help to win Best Empanada! There are very few spots to get authentic Panamanian cuisine in the DMV area - including Panamanian empanadas - and winning this would spotlight our small business and show that more people need to try out Panamanian cuisine for themselves! Vote for us now through July 10th for Best Empanada under the Food & Drink category here: https://bit.ly/42pO9zk PS: Not convinced that our empanadas are really the best? If you don’t believe us, you have until July 10th to order some and see for yourself!

Esencias Panameñas” refers to the distinctive Panamanian spices that create a unique aroma & flavor that is as pleasing to the senses as it is to the palate. So, let’s talk about 2 ingredients used commonly in Panamanian cooking - culantro & achiote! Culantro, NOT cilantro, is a tropical perennial herb in the family Apiaceae. It’s a cooking & medicinal herb well known in the Caribbean, Central America, & the Far East. It’s not very well known here in the USA and is usually confused with cilantro, but they are not the same. Culantro has a more robust flavor, and unlike cilantro, it isn’t consumed fresh. In Panama, culantro is the main ingredient to make recao’ verde, which is a green cooking base used to build flavor primarily in arroz con pollo and tamales. However, it can also be used when cooking beans or making stews. Achiote (Annatto) is a red seed from the achiote (bixa orellana) tree. This red seed is essential in Panamanian cooking for a large number of traditional dishes, in which it provides not only flavor, but mainly that intense red/orange color that characterizes many of our stews. Achiote is used in much of Latin America and the Caribbean for the same purpose. We even use it to give cheddar cheese that orange color. In some countries the powder is used, others use the seasoned paste, but in Panama it is most common to use the seed infused in oil by steeping the seeds in hot vegetable or canola oil. Both seeds & ground achiote will keep for a long time. With proper storage, achiote can be good for up to 3 years. Store in an airtight glass container & a dark cabinet away from the light.