Panama

 Welcome to Panama!  When I was originally researching for this project, I didn't know what category to put this country in: was it North America?  South America?  I figured since most people categorize it as Central America, I'd do that too.   Anyway, according to Google, Panama has a population of 4.25 million people and the capital is Panama City.  Their national dish is...

 

  

Sancocho!

Apparently there are several varieties of this meal throughout Central America but it is most popular in Panama.  They say that cilantro is what makes this soup so good.  I'm not kidding when I say there is a LOT of cilantro in this recipe!  I also made Cocadas, for dessert.  Here's what I did:

SANCOCHO

6 Chicken Thighs

6 Cloves Garlic, chopped

2 tbsp Oregano

1 tsp Pepper

1 1/2 Bunches Cilantro, chopped

1 Onion, chopped

4 Parsnips, chopped

1 Red Potato, chopped

1 Sweet Potato, chopped

1 Carrot, chopped

Salt, to taste

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
   
2. Rub chicken thighs with cilantro.
3. Put the chicken in a large pot, and cover with water by about 1 inch.  Bring to a boil.
4. While waiting for chicken to boil, peel and chop veggies and add to the pot, along with the spices.  Bring to boil.
5. When water is boiling the second time, remove the foam from the top.  
6. Lower the temperature to a medium simmer.
7. Cover the pot loosely with a lid and simmer for about 45 minutes.  (Your veggies may get really cooked and start falling apart - this is OK!)
8. Add salt to taste, and garnish with more cilantro.
   
9. Enjoy!

(Source: Sancocho)

COCADAS

14 oz Piloncillo 

8 oz Flaked Coconut

1/2 C Water

1/2 C Buttermilk

1. Pour the Piloncillo and water into a pan
2. Cook over medium-low heat until the Piloncillo is melted completely (I recommend cutting the Piloncillo into smaller pieces to do this).
3. Add coconut, and stir.
4. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes, until the coconut has hydrated more.
5. Slowly add the buttermilk and continue to stir while increasing the heat.
6. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns dark brown.
7. When the sugar has carmelized, and the mixture is thick, form small balls with two spoons, and place them on greased parchment paper.
8. Let cool to room temperature, and then place in fridge to set.

(Source: Cocadas)

 

  

 

 

 

The verdict?  The soup was pretty tasty!  It definitely had a strong cilantro taste, but it was really yummy.  The original recipe called for starchy veggies and ears of corn - that would have been good too.  We're watching our carb intake as much as possible so we opted for some lower carb starchy veggies :-)   It was an interesting take on chicken veggie soup, and I thought it was quite flavorful.  Handsome Husband said the cochada's reminded him of a dessert he had in Jamaica but that theirs had ginger in it.  That would have been really good!  The cochadas were pretty crumbly, but I think that is just because of all of the sugar.  They are VERY Sweet, and have a smoky flavor that is fun!

 

ME

Taste of Sancocho (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Sancocho (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

ME

Taste of Cocadas (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Cocadas (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

And there you have it!  Another down.  Next week, the Nifty Niece is taking us to Guatamala!  Hope you join us there!