Bringing Food From the Countryside

El Mercado de Abastos is the main food depository in Panama City, where food from the countryside is stored for distribution to the population of the city.  This is where restaurants, small stores, homes, and hotels replenish their stocks of fresh food.  Supermarkets have their own private logistic systems.

This building used to house the Motor Transportation Division (MTD) before the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 took effect.  It’s a rather large area where hundreds of trucks are received and unloaded daily with just about everything you can think of about food from the farmlands.

These installations are presently operated by the Municipality of Panama.  A system to bring refrigerated products from the highlands of Chiriqui is in the planning stages.  The goal is to cut waste and supply healthier products to the city dwellers.  The project is known as “Cadena del Frío”.  It’s a highly advanced and complex project which will need careful planning and heavy public investment.  It is very high in the government’s agenda.  However, I feel the project will have to be completed by the next administration, since we’re running out of time.

Below are several pictures of “Mercado de Abastos” in Panama City, Panama.

Partial view of the “Mercado de Abastos” in Panama City, Panama. During the week this place is buzzing with activity. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the “Mercado de Abastos” to supply food from the countryside to the metropolis. The buildings in the background is a recently built housing project to furnish apartments to low-income workers of Panama. The housing project is known as ” Proyecto Curundú”. The monthly payment for these apartments is only $50.00 which is very reasonable. The project was designed in Spain and imported to Panama by the Ministry of Housing and Development. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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Spam is Not a Pesky Message

Several days ago I read an exquisitely well-written blog post about ©Spam penned by a notable blogger, Linda Lienen, in her blog The Task at Hand.  The title of her post was A Taste of Americana.  Besides describing Rosie The Riveter, The Jolly Green Giant, and Paul Bunyan, she included a thorough description of the ©Spam Museum and of course the “quintessentially American food which has fed soldiers and kids, college students, cruisers and struggling families.”

The post struck a chord inside my brain, since our family was passionate about ©Spam back in Changuinola where I grew up in a banana plantation owned by United Brands.  Spam was one of my favorite dishes.  Later as I morphed from a child to an adult, the dish dissipated from my memory until I read Linda’s post.

During a recent visit to El Machetazo supermarket, I searched for a can of ©Spam and I found it.  We added a small can to the cart as a tribute to Linda and to walk memory lane once more.

Below are a couple of pictures of the favorite dish of my youth.  Here we go.

Snapshot of small can of ©Spam which we recently purchased at El Machetazo supermarket as a tribute to Linda’s blog post about this traditional American food. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Thank you Linda for all the memories.  Good Day.

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River Stones

During ancient times, American Indians utilized sedimentary rocks and sandstone for manufacturing many of the tools they needed. Stone was plentiful in the territories they resided, as well as durable. Proven to be useful, American Indians also found stone to be beneficial as a bartering tool, for building shelter and grinding grain.

River stones were frequently used to soften meat, grind corn, crush leaves and other vegetables.  Mortar and pestle tools were used by American Indians for grinding foods. According to the Encylopedia Britannica it is the the first known means for grinding grain. A shallow impression would be made within stone, grain placed inside, and pounded with a stone similar to a club — oblong shape — in appearance. “Mano” is the Spanish word for “hand.” It pertains to stone utilized in one or both hands swayed against a larger stone for grinding seeds. “Metate” is a term used by American Indians detailing the larger stone upon which the mano is used to grind the grain.

I recall my mother used river stones of several sizes to soften meat, crush garlic and green plantain to make “patacones“.  There was always a collection of river stones in my mother’s kitchen.  They were black in color and very smooth.  Even though we have pierced inside the 21st century, we are still clinging to our traditions of our ancestors.  My mother-in-law also used river stones to cook in her home in Aguadulce, and this tradition was passed on to my wife Aura.

Below is a pictures of a dark river stone which my wife still uses to prepare our meals.  You know that I’m a technological geek, but I still won’t let go of ancient traditions like river stones to prepare our food.  As Alvin Toffler used to say, “change is non-linear and can go backwards, forwards and sideways.”

Snapshot of a dark river stone surrounded by onions, tomatoes, garlic, carrots and green sweet pepper. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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Tamales and Bollos From Panama

Snapshot of a delicious tamal recently cooked by my wife for our Christmas and New Year’s dinner. This is a dish that has to be on the table during these festivities. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

A tamal is a traditional Central American dish made of masa (a starchy dough, usually corn-based), which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper.  Tamales can be stuffed with pork or chicken, prunes, green peas,  or any other preparation according to taste, and, both the filling and the cooking liquids, are usually seasoned.

The leaves that you see under the tamal are plantain leaves, and of course, they are not to be eaten.  Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

In Panama, where tamales are considered one of the main typical national dishes, tamales are fairly large. The most common fillings are chicken or pork, raisins or prunes, onions, olives, tomato sauce, red ball peppers, capers, and sweet peas.  Another variation is tamales de olla, which are cooked in pots, then served directly onto plates. Tamales are usually served for all special occasions, including weddings and birthday parties, and are always found on the Christmas dinner table.

Snapshot of a pair of bollos which are leftovers of our Christmas and New Year’s dinner. I’m still enjoying the goodies of the holidays. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Bollos and tamales are part of the Panamanian diet all year round, as well as rice and beans.  Bollos are made of corn and are cooked in a corn husk.  The city of Chorrera is famous for its “bollos preñados” which are stuffed with chicken or pork, thus the expression “pregnant bollos”.

Tamales came to the United States through obvious entry points, like San Antonio and Los Angeles, where, by the 1870s, the City Council was fighting to legislate against vendors who sold tamales out of wagons and pushcarts. But they also took root in some unexpected places, like the Mississippi Delta, where they are believed to have been introduced by migrant Mexican laborers who picked cotton in the early 20th century. Today it is African-Americans who are the keepers of the tradition there.

And now you know more about the dishes Panamanian enjoy when they sit on the table to eat.  Good Day.

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Nuts

The Twisters are not very fond of nuts.  Aura, my wife, always buys a bag or two of assorted nuts for Christmas.  I’m not really a fan of nuts, but if they’re available, I’ll eat a few.  In my opinion, nuts are for the squirrels.

Anyway, when the Twisters stormed our house the night before Christmas, they sieged the fridge and almost depleted our stock of goodies there.  But there was one thing, they left untouched—a dish of assorted nuts.  They left it intact.  They ate nothing, naught, nil, nix, zero, zip, nada.

So we are enjoying our Christmas nuts as previously intended.  We are adding some of them to our morning Corn Flakes; “they” say it’s good for your digestion or something like that.

Below are a couple of pictures of a heap of remnants Christmas nuts disdained by the Twisters.  Here we go.

Snapshot of a dish with assorted nuts which my wife acquired for our Christmas dinner. The Twisters passed on this one. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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A Christmas Eve Dinner in Panama

As far as I can remember, we have always celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ with a midnight dinner.  All the family gathers, elegantly dressed up, around the dinner table and pray together with lighted candles in a dark room.  The only light comes from the flickering candles on the table.  Usually the mother or father leads the family prayers.

We followed the Christian tradition last night.  My wife, Abdiel—one of the Twisters—and his father Alcibiades, joined me in the ceremony.  There is so much to be thankful for to the Good Lord.  At 66, my perspective of life has dramatically changed and every single detail around me has a value.  Photography has also opened my eyes and I now appreciate more the reality that covers us like a magic blanket.  During the year, I’ve tried to capture our daily life with my picture box and share them with our readers.

Today the day of Christmas, I will share with you, pictures of our Christmas table just a few seconds before the clock struck twelve on December 24, 2012.

Snapshot of our Christmas table displaying some of the traditional food served during the Christmas Eve midnight dinner. You can see the moña bread, apples, pears, grapes, a fruit cake, a bottle of wine and a roasted turkey. Oh, also a cup of Chinese tea for a good digestion. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Apples, pears, and grapes are synonymous with Christmas in Panama. If you don’t have these fruits on the table on Christmas Eve, it ain’t Christmas. Oh, and don’t forget the moña bread. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Merry Christmas to you all and best wishes for the upcoming new year.  Good Day.

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The Moña Bread of Panama

Last Saturday, we drove over to Riva Smith Supermarket early morning to buy two moña breads for our Christmas dinner, before the place was flooded with people waiting for the last minute to buy the precious bread.

Even though it was early, about eight o’clock, the place was packed.  We had problems parking our car.  Every single parking space of their parking lot was occupied.  No problem, we left the vehicle about two blocks away and walked.  The walking exercise was good for my high blood pressure.

The price for the large moña bread went up one dollar.  Each moña bread can be had for $14.85, which is pretty steep for our standards, but we had no choice—it was either/or.

Now we’re ready for our Christmas Eve dinner and all our Holiday purchases have been made.  We were able to stay away from the roaring crowd of the malls and the supermarkets during the last days of shopping before Christmas.  It’s impossible to do anything these days.  Long lines, traffic jams, irresponsible driving, too much booze and the list goes on and on.  Every years it’s the same rat race in the city—the frenzy to buy doesn’t seem to go away.  In fact it’s getting worse.

For those of you who are not familiar with the moña bread, let me expand by saying it is the most sought out food in Panama for Christmas.  For us Panamanians a moña bread is to Christmas what a pumpkin is to Halloween in the States.  I can not even imagine a Christmas without a moña bread.

What is a moña bread you might ask?  Well let me explain.  Pan de moña in itself is difficult to define because the range goes from a very lean challah-like bread, to an ultra rich sweet brioche-like bread. The challah-like bread would be your everyday bread. The super rich sweet brioche-like one would be something you serve on special occasions, like Christmas for example.

In Panama, if you visit the supermarkets during the holiday season in December, you will see these special pan de moña everywhere, golden brown and heavily sprinkled with sliced almonds. The common denominators throughout the range are only eggs and a sweet component (either sugar or honey). But really, most times, pan the moña is something in between these two extremes.

Since pictures are better than words, below I’ve inserted several snapshots of two moña breads we recently purchased at Riva Smith Supermarket.  One is for us and the other is for the Twisters.  Here we go.

Snapshot of two packages of moña breads neatly packed in cellophane bags baked by the Riva Smith Supermarket in Panama City, Panama. For us, it’s the best moña bread in the country. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Tonight it’s Christmas Eve–the night when Jesus Christ, the son of God was born.  I take this opportunity to wish all our readers of Lingua Franca, the Merriest of Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.  May all your dreams come true.  Good Day.

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Fishing Boats in Panama

Snapshot of a small fishing boat docked at the British Pier in Panama City, getting ready for a fishing excursion. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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An Elegant Restaurant in the Highlands of Panama

If you are visiting the highlands of the Province of Chiriquí in the Republic of Panama, and you begin to feel hungry, I know one of the best restaurants in the area.  Not only is the site where the venue is located spectacular, but also the food is delicious.

Once you get to Hotel Finca Lérida, you can’t miss the site of the restaurant.  There are convenient signs indicating the route to the building, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost.  Chow time will be always on time.

The chef’s name is Gean who’s assisted by Jose Luis and young and sweet Estibalis .  Two dynamic waitresses will take your order; Kathy and Linette, faster than you can wink an eye.  If you wish, you can order inside the restaurant or cuddle at an adjoining terrace cafe with a magnificent view of flowers, purple mountains and manicured lawns.

Below are several pictures of the gourmet restaurant of Hotel de Montaña Finca Lérida.  Once you eat here I know you will return and return and return for more.  Here we go.

Snapshot of one the many signs to help the hotel’s visitors to find their way inside its premises. As you can see, the sign clearly indicates where the restaurant is located. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Take notice of the lush gardens and tropical vegetation around the area of Finca Lérida. On the slopes of the mountains you will find dark green coffee plants. This high quality coffee is exported to the United States, Canada and Europe. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of a general view of the building where the restaurant is situated. It is surrounded by well-kept gardens with a variety of bright tropical flowers. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

A closer view of the entrance to the gourmet restaurant of Hotel de Montaña Finca Lérida. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of a patch of bright tropical flowers bordering the restaurant of the mountain hotel. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

View of the elegant restaurant with a gorgeous crystal chandelier hanging in the middle of the spacious room. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Example of one of the many delicious dishes available at the restaurant. I ordered this delicious salmon. I’m not an expert in food, but the chef will be more than happy to explain its intricacies. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

This is another recommendation of the chef. It’s a stuffed trout with tomatoes and other flavor herbs. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Portrait of the main chef, Gean, of Hotel de Montaña Finca Lérida. His pose is very distinguished and graceful. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Chef Gean and one of his assistants, Estibalis, pose for the camera. Take notice of their spotless white uniforms.  Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Two waitresses of Hotel de Montaña Finca Lérida, Linette (left) and Kathy (right), will be more than happy to take your order at the restaurant. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

This will be the end of a tour of one of the most elegant and refined gourmet restaurants you can find in the highlands of Chiriquí.  If you happen to be near its vicinity, I strongly encourage you to drive over and take a bite.  Good Day.

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Stuffed Bell Peppers

Sweet peppers, also known as bell peppers for their bell-like shape, are one of the world’s most popular vegetables.  They are also one of the easiest to grow from the seed.

Versatile, tasty, and full of health, sweet peppers promote antioxidants.  Nutritionally they are a good source of vitamin C, beta carotene, folic acid, magnesium and potassium.

Below is a plate with several green sweet peppers recently cooked by my wife.  Here we go.

Snapshot of “ajíes rellenos” (green sweet peppers) stuffed with grind meat. Pork and chicken are also used to stuff these delicious veggies. This dish is very popular in our home. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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