Panama National Day 2026

Chicken stew with yam, corn and culantro herbs — Panama's national dish, slow-cooked in every Panamanian household.

Fresh corvina marinated in lime juice with onion and chilli — Panama's Pacific coast classic.

Corn masa stuffed with chicken and vegetables, wrapped in banana leaves — distinctly Panamanian, richer than Mexican tamales.

Shredded braised beef with tomatoes, peppers and onion — brought from Spain and made Panamanian over generations.

Thick fried corn tortilla — eaten with cheese and eggs for breakfast on national holidays.

Yellow rice cooked with chicken, capers and olives — the standard Panamanian party dish.

Panamanian sugarcane spirit — the national drink of Panama, drunk with milk or in cocktails.

Fermented corn or fruit drink — a traditional Panamanian celebratory beverage with Indigenous roots.

Sweet corn drink with cinnamon and milk — sold at street stalls and festivals across Panama.

Panama's national dress for women — elaborate hand-embroidered white skirts worn at independence parades.

The Parade of a Thousand Polleras in Las Tablas — one of the most spectacular folk costume parades in Latin America.

Panama's national dance — performed in pollera and montuno costume, combining African and Spanish rhythms.

Intricate reverse-appliqué textile art from the Guna people — displayed at cultural events and sold at markets.