Your tour starts at the Restaurante El Nacional in Casco Viejo, the colonial historic center of Panama City. You will walk with your expert local guide to gather your personalized ingredients at the two main markets in Panama’s Old Town. You will first visit the famous Mercado de Mariscos, Panama’s largest seafood market. With the help of your guide, you will select the perfect fish for your ceviche from amongst the many varieties that are delivered here daily from local fisherman on both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Next you will walk a short distance to the Mercado San Felipe Neri. Here you will maneuver amongst the organized chaos of local vendors selling the freshest meats, fruits, and vegetables that Panama has to offer. Once you have your ingredients, you will head back to the cooking studio at El Nacional to begin the cooking class.

During the hands on cooking class, you will create a 4 course menu consisting of classic Panamanian dishes made from scratch while learning about spices and herbs that are unique to Panamanian cuisine. The tour will conclude with a sit down lunch where you can enjoy the food that you just created along with complimentary local drinks.

Sample Menu

1. Panamanian Style Ceviche, Made with the fresh corvina that we will get at the seafood market
2. Carimañola, A Panamanian staple that consists of mashed yucca (cassava) stuffed with seasoned ground beef
3. Pollo Guisado, You will learn how to make this stewed chicken with local herbs and spices. You will use this chicken in the carimañola and tamal recipes.
4. Tamal, The centerpiece of any family dinner in Panama made with a velvety corn masa filled with meat and/or vegetables and wrapped in a plantain leaf
5. Plátano en Tentación, Sweet plantain slowly cooked in a cinnamon, molasses and citrus fruit juice.
6. Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten Free Options, All of the dishes can be substituted with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free ingredients to fit your dietary needs.