National Dish Panama: Sancocho (Recipe)
In this article
Sancocho is chicken soup with yuca and culantro, and the culantro is what makes it Panamanian rather than generic. It is a long-leafed herb, sharper than coriander, and Panamanians consider the soup a cure for most things including a hangover.
About Sancocho
Sancocho exists across Latin America and every country makes it differently. The Panamanian version is sancocho de gallina: an old hen, yuca, ñame, corn and culantro, simmered long enough for the bird to fall apart.
An old laying hen rather than a young chicken is the traditional bird, because it has the flavour and the connective tissue that makes the broth.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 500g chicken legs or thighs
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 pepper, deseeded and diced
- 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 cup yuca, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup sweetcorn kernels, or 1 corn cob cut into pieces
- 6 cups chicken stock or water
- Fresh coriander, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Shopping for the ingredients
Culantro, also called recao or ngò gai, is sold in Latin American and Asian shops and is not the same as coriander. Use it if you can find it. Yuca fresh or frozen. Chicken thighs on the bone, or a whole hen if you are being traditional.
Preparing the dish
Peel the yuca thoroughly, removing the pink layer under the bark, and cut out the woody core. Skim the broth in the first fifteen minutes. Add the yuca partway through, since it cooks faster than an old bird.
Step-by-step instructions
- Bring the chicken to a gentle boil in a large pot of water or chicken stock, skimming the surface.
- Add the onion, garlic, pepper, salt and pepper, and let it simmer over medium heat until the chicken is almost cooked through.
- Add the potatoes, yuca and corn and continue cooking until these vegetables are tender.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or pepper as needed.
- Garnish with fresh culantro or coriander and serve piping hot.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Sancocho contains no gluten and no dairy. Served with rice, the whole meal is suitable. Check a shop-bought stock cube.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
The root vegetables and culantro carry a good deal of it. A version with yuca, ñame, corn, pumpkin and plenty of herbs in a well-made vegetable stock works. Bean soup is the more straightforward Panamanian option.
More tips and tricks
Skim the broth early so it stays clear. Use culantro rather than coriander if you possibly can; it is the flavour Panamanians mean by sancocho. And serve it with a small bowl of white rice, which is added to the soup rather than eaten alongside.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Ñame, the West African yam, is traditional alongside the yuca. Plantain and pumpkin both belong. A whole hen and a longer simmer make the real thing.
Ingredient substitutions
Coriander in place of culantro, using more of it. Potato replaces yuca. Any bone-in chicken works.
Drink pairing ideas
Chicheme, the corn and milk drink, is the Panamanian pairing. Balboa or Atlas beer. Water otherwise.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve it in deep bowls with a small dish of white rice on the side, which each person spoons into the soup. Lime wedges and hot sauce on the table. It is eaten hot and it is regarded as restorative.
A bit of history
Sancocho descends from Spanish cocido and absorbed indigenous and African ingredients across the Americas. Panama’s version is distinguished by culantro and by the use of an old hen. It anchors Panamanian cuisine and is served at every family gathering.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Sancocho
Sancocho is chicken simmered with yuca, corn and culantro into a restorative broth. Use an old hen if you can, skim it early, find culantro, and serve rice on the side.
