Panama’s Sancocho Is a Soup That Can Cure It All | Travel

Sancocho is the perfect comfort food. A national dish in Panama, with different versions popular throughout Latin America, the rustic chicken stew can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, dinner and anytime in between.

“It’s one of the options you get as a kid at parties,” says Carlos Alba. “Before they offer you chicken strips, they offer you a little bit of sancocho and some rice. It’s an integral part of being Panamanian.”

Known as “Chombolín” in the gastronomic world, Alba is the chef and owner of Íntimo, a 20-seat Panama City restaurant that “lives up to its name,” according to the New York Times, and highlights the multicultural nature of Panama with local ingredients. While sancocho is not part of the daily menu at Íntimo, it is usually a signature dish in Alba’s occasional tasting menus. “It’s an important part of who we are,” Alba says, “but we try to explore different things in the restaurant.”

Nicknamed sancocho, the broth’s full name is sancocho de gallina Panameño. The dish originated in the Azuero Peninsula of southwestern Panama, with ingredients from both the New World and the Old World, brought by the Spanish to the Americas. Some Panamanians, including Alba, claim that sancocho is the best hangover cure. Others argue that eating the stew on a hot day can help cool you off.

Alba grew up eating sancocho, but it wasn’t until his first job that he understood what it meant to cook it. “It was the first time I learned about the different styles that sancocho has to offer,” he says. “And the cooking experience was my favorite part. Making it with people while having a conversation is just beautiful.”

When it comes to sancocho, Alba thinks that the simpler the ingredients, the better. “Culantro, ñame [yam] and chicken. And then you can add some garlic, onions and oregano to make it extra good.” It’s all about the technique and process rather than the complexity of the ingredients.

“Everything from Panama that consists of people gathering together to cook is going to be a representation of who we are as a country,” he says. “And that’s what sancocho is about, sharing and learning.”