First, find some bananas that have gotten very ripe, because they'll be sweeter and squishier than bananas that haven't turned bright yellow or even brownish yet. Peel them, cut them up and throw them into some boiling water.
Once the bananas have gotten very soft in the boiling water, add some canela (cinnamon) and jengibre (ginger). The bananas will soak up the flavor of the spices as they all boil in the water together, like a soup.
Next, pour the water out of the pot and mash up the boiled bananas. Add azucar (sugar), leche entera (whole milk), leche de coco (coconut milk) and a little sal (salt). Cook it all until it thickens.
Chocao can be served hot or cold, with a variety of toppings. Add a dash of powdered cinnamon, a drizzle of honey, a splash of coconut milk or some raisins... then enjoy!
Tropical fruits, especially bananas and plantains, are very common in Panamanian dishes. Yessenia and Alexis both recognized the chocao from home, where their families make slightly different versions. Yessenia said that she didn't like chocao because her mother never used very ripe bananas when she made it, so it was never quite sweet enough. Upon trying the island cooks' recipe, though, she decided that she didn't dislike all chocao.
