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Panama Cooking Class: Local Market Tour & Cuisine
4.9
113 Ratings
Panamá
Embark on a culinary adventure in Casco Viejo, Panama, with a local market tour and hands-on cooking class. Learn traditional Panamanian recipes and techniques from an expert chef. Personalized menu options available.
Embark on a culinary adventure in Casco Viejo, Panama, with a local market tour and hands-on cooking class. Learn traditional Panamanian recipes and techniques from an expert chef. Personalized menu options available.
Duration:
4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Restaurante El Nacional Sabores de Panamá - Your tour starts at the Restaurante El Nacional in Casco Viejo, the colonial historic center of Panama City. You will walk with your expert local guide to gather your personalized ingredients at the two main markets in Panama’s Old Town. You will first visit the famous Mercado de Mariscos, Panama’s…
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Restaurante El Nacional Sabores de Panamá - Your tour starts at the Restaurante El Nacional in Casco Viejo, the colonial historic center of Panama City. You will walk with your expert local guide to gather your personalized ingredients at the two main markets in Panama’s Old Town. You will first visit the famous Mercado de Mariscos, Panama’s largest seafood market. With the help of your guide, you will select the perfect fish for your ceviche from amongst the many varieties that are delivered here daily from local fisherman on both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Next you will walk a short distance to the Mercado San Felipe Neri. Here you will maneuver amongst the organized chaos of local vendors selling the freshest meats, fruits, and vegetables that Panama has to offer. Once you have your ingredients, you will head back to the cooking studio at El Nacional to begin the cooking class.
During the hands on cooking class, you will create a 5 course menu consisting of classic Panamanian dishes made from scratch while learning about spices and herbs that are unique to Panamanian cuisine. The tour will conclude with a sit down lunch where you can enjoy the food that you just created along with complimentary local drinks.
What's Included
- Cooking class
- Lunch
- Bottled water
- Alcoholic beverages
- Cooking class
- Lunch
- Bottled water
- Alcoholic beverages
What's Not Included
- Optional Tips
- Optional Tips
Meal Options
- Panamanian Style Ceviche - Made with the fresh corvina that we will get at the seafood market
- Carimañola - A Panamanian staple that consists of mashed yucca (cassava) stuffed with seasoned meat (chicken or vegetarian)
- Pollo Guisado - You will learn how to make this stewed chicken with local herbs and spices. You will use this chicken in the…
- Panamanian Style Ceviche - Made with the fresh corvina that we will get at the seafood market
- Carimañola - A Panamanian staple that consists of mashed yucca (cassava) stuffed with seasoned meat (chicken or vegetarian)
- Pollo Guisado - You will learn how to make this stewed chicken with local herbs and spices. You will use this chicken in the carimañola and tamal recipes.
- Tamale Tipica - The centerpiece of any family dinner in Panama made with a velvety corn masa filled with meat and/or vegetables and wrapped in a plantain leaf
- Plátano en Tentación - Sweet plantain slowly cooked in a cinnamon, molasses and citrus fruit juice.
- Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten Free Options - All of the dishes can be substituted with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free ingredients to fit your dietary needs.
Additional Information
Embark on a culinary journey through Panama’s distinct flavors with a combined market tour and hands-on cooking workshop. Guided by a knowledgeable local culinary expert, you will navigate Casco Viejo’s bustling markets in search of the perfect ingredients for your tailored menu. Immerse yourself in the world of unique Panamanian herbs and spices as you…
Embark on a culinary journey through Panama’s distinct flavors with a combined market tour and hands-on cooking workshop. Guided by a knowledgeable local culinary expert, you will navigate Casco Viejo’s bustling markets in search of the perfect ingredients for your tailored menu. Immerse yourself in the world of unique Panamanian herbs and spices as you prepare a quintet of dishes that would earn the admiration of any Panamanian grandmother. Master the art of crafting the ideal Panamanian tamale and filling a carimañola under the tutelage of a chef whose expertise has been handed down through generations. This cooking adventure is designed to cater to your dietary needs, with options including gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian choices.
- Legal age that can be served alcohol is 18
Location
Restaurante El Nacional Sabores de Panamá
Tour starting point is in Restaurante El Nacional, PH Catedral, located on Plaza de la Independencia, in the former Museo de Esmeralda
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(113 Ratings)
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Geraldeve_l
Sep 19, 2025
Great History Tour/Cooking Class. - I Had a wonder time with Paola and Jorge. Not only did we cook some amazing traditional Panamanian dishes, but we also got a wonderful history lesson walking to the market. We got to walk through the old Panama town and into a very beautiful market. That was very breathtaking. Paola Is extremely knowledgeable about her culture and was able to give me a history lesson that taught me things I never knew before. This is a great two for one experience and I would definitely recommend it to my friends and family.
Review provided by Viator
Peter_b
Aug 30, 2025
Delicious Meal! - Great food, great teacher, and great experience! The Chef showed us step by step how to make each course and had us walk to the local markets to get the food! It was a blast.
Review provided by Viator
Cheryl
Aug 6, 2025
Awesome job - Chef was knowledgeable, kind, great instructor and a good sense of humor. Food was excellent great seasoning and flavor. 10 out of 10 for chef of cooking class.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F983qymichaelh
Jul 31, 2025
Cooking in Panama for the win... - Chief did a wonderful job presenting and explaining the cultural and history of the foods we experienced. It was a great opportunity to learn and taste new things. Our walking tour to the markets to pick ingredients was also a cool experience. Meet some great folks and the libations were a nice touch.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Molly_p
Jul 13, 2025
Rain or shine! - Will take this class every time I am in the area!!! The food is amazing, the walk is informative and the markets are busy!
Review provided by Viator
Ladonna_h
Jul 13, 2025
Perfect Way to Taste and Learn Panama’s Flavors - We had an amazing experience in this 4-hour cooking class! The chef walked us through the town to visit two local markets, explaining the vegetables and fish we would use. Back at the restaurant, we had a hands-on, interactive cooking session that was both fun and educational. The chef was friendly, passionate, and made the entire process easy to follow. This was truly a highlight of our trip to Panama — We highly recommend it to anyone who loves food and wants an authentic local experience. A perfect 10 out of 10!
Review provided by Viator
Pbishop4
Jul 10, 2025
A truly amazing cultural experience! - What an amazing experience. Jorge, our chef and instructor, was a lot of fun. He shared with us information about Panamanian culture and cooking that were invaluable. The experience of walking through the streets to the market and getting an education on the different meats and vegetables was so much fun. Then on to the seafood market where we purchased fish for the cervices' and learned about how to buy the best fish and seafood. Then we walk back to the restaurant to cook. The instructional kitchen setup was perfect, and we all had the chance to participate in the actual preparation of every phase of the meal. Then, when it was all done, we all got to eat what we each prepared. It was delicious. The afternoon session is the one to attend because it was not rushed. I could see how the morning session would be rushed. Our 4-hour session ended up being a 6-hour session due to the fantastic group dynamics and interaction with the restaurant staff. They also kept the beer and sangria freely flowing, which enhanced the experience. I highly recommend this to anyone who has an interest in cooking. Be prepared to walk. It's not a short walk to the market, then to the fish market, and back to the restaurant, especially in the heat and humidity that Panama City is famous for. This experience is worth every penny we spent on it and we highly recommend it for those who love culture and cooking.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trish
Jul 9, 2025
An evening of preparing and cooking authentic Panamanian Food brings much memories for my 84 year old mom!! A must do! - Our Chef was amazing! Had a great time with my 84 year old mom! The walk to the meat market was a bit much for mom, but we ubered and met the group at San Felipe Nori. The Market was fun to see the remodel since COVID. The Fish Market was a delight to see as well. The fresh food we prepared was very flavorful. The Boyo, Cerveche, and Plantain were created with so much attention to detail. An evening of laughs and good company. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
758cristinak
Jul 5, 2025
Different and excellent - From the beginning it was an authentic and very well-guided activity. The host was great, outgoing, and made everyone feel comfortable at all times. The activity allowed participants to learn useful techniques to apply to Panamanian dishes and at home, in addition to enjoying delicious food and learning more about Panamanian and Latin American culture. There was also interaction with locals at the markets, which made it even more special. It was a much more local and genuine experience than most tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kit_n
Jun 15, 2025
Fun and Filling!! - Small group - no more than 8. Learn to make 5 traditional Panamanian dishes. Very hands on. We had an afternoon class so we took them up on their offer of complimentary beer wine and even rum that is used in one of the recipes. Our Monday tour guide had recommended a local restaurant that served local Panamanian food which we found not very appetizing. If we hadn’t taken this class we all would have had a negative lasting impression of the food. Jorge’s is fun, knows what he is doing, and has this down pat. (If you
Don’t have time to take the class, for sure, go there for lunch. We were there in offseason when most restaurants were empty. This was packed the entire afternoon.) My only suggestion for improvement was less time standing in the produce area getting instructions/lectures on cooking that could have been shared while seated back at the restaurant. Time was better spent on the ingredients. There was also a surprise visit to a beverage stall where we each could choose one of 12+ different fruit and vegetable mixes. At the end, we all sat down at a table to eat our own cooking. It was fabulous and my group now has a very different opinion of Panamanian food.
Review provided by Viator
