I already know this is going to be one of my favorite Field Notes, because today, we're talking about food. I love food: cooking it, eating it, and sharing it with others. I think trying new food is one of the best ways to experience a new place and its culture, and it's one of the reasons I love to travel so much.
One of my favorite dishes in Panama is a típico plato (typical dish) called ropa vieja. The name literally translates to old clothes, which refers to the beef’s appearance. But, it sure tastes better than old clothes! Ropa vieja is often served with white rice or patacones, which are fried plantain slices. The plantain is a larger, starchier cousin of the banana. Another of my favorite foods here is fried fish, specifically pargo frito, fried snapper. A common side dish can be patacones, or my personal favorite, yuca frita (fried yuca wedges). Fried yuca tastes somehow even better than french fries. I love to eat it with my favorite Panamanian hot sauce, D'Elidas.
