Panama Food Shopping

Introduction – Our law firm offers Panama immigration services so we get asked a lot of questions about things like food shopping in Panama. Here are the answers. Enjoy.

Panama Supermarkets – We have three big chains of supermarkets in Panama. They are Super 99 which is a higher mid-level supermarket, El Rey which is a lower priced supermarket and Reba Smith which is the high end more gourmet type supermarket. If you buy imported packaged and frozen foods it will cost you a lot to eat, probably as much as it costs in North America. If you buy local products avoiding canned and frozen foods your food bill will drop by 65% and you will be eating healthier. Come on you know that packaged foods has a lot of garbage in it that is not good for you so give it up. We frequently see people do this from other countries who drop 20 pounds in 8 weeks without dieting. Tropical fruits are real cheap and easy to love and so very good for you. Use the Panama domestic chicken and beef. Sea food is well sea food, we do not have our own domestic oceans <smile> but it is healthy and low priced. You never had eggs until you tasted Panama eggs.

Panama Kosher Food – Panama has one large kosher supermarket. They slaughter their meats downstairs and offer food for sale on the upper level. They are in Punta Patilla. Super Kosher is the name. They have a lot of imported foods and fresh foods. They have a small kosher delicatessen inside as well and a prescription drug store too. They also have a branch of a local bank. They have parking and guys to carry your food to the car and load it into the car for you like any Panama supermarket will have. Panama does have a handful of kosher restaurants and a bagel store.

Shopping Panamanian Style – Ok you get the maid and your driver or handyman if you have one and off you go to market. You go to the large outdoor fruit and vegetable market for really fresh fruit and veggies. Our regular fruit and veggies are what you would probably call organic or close to it. So this is the first stop since this won’t spoil in the car. Do let the maid drive the prices down and fight about the quality of the food. She was raised from a little girl by experts who taught her how to do this perfectly. She is eating what you eat remember, so she is on your side and just let her rip. Stand back and keep quiet. Watch the vendor’s facial expression; if he frowns she is doing a good job for you. The driver or handyman/yardman will do the hauling back to the car.

Next stop is the meat market where they only sell meats- pork, chicken and beef. Again let the maid do her thing and get what you target. If you look like a green foreigner they might take a cheap shot at you but one look at the maid and they know it is pointless to play games. Our meat is what you might call free range, grass fed. Rib eye, T-bone is $2.35 a pound. So get the meat and now back to the car for the next stop for fresh fish. Go to the open air fish market or the wharf. You will see the fishing boats offshore not far away. Be there by 9:30. By the way start your shopping early so you get the good stuff. The fish should be fresh caught on ice but never frozen. Figure Tuna for $1.25 a pound, red snapper maybe $1.50 a pound. These prices are before they fillet the fish for you. Let the maid get into it here too. Now you head home and offload so nothing spoils. Well in reality the maid and the driver offload and pack it all away.

Next you and your entourage go to the supermarket of your choice for things like hi-grade Toilet paper without splinters, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, fresh bakery items, ice cream, whatever else you might need. The supermarkets sell all forms of alcohol and have those fast wine chillers there too. Chilean wines are great and oh so cheaply priced. We also have Sam’s club type places like Price Mart if you prefer your toilet paper in bundles of 64 <smile>. These are membership based but just go and join, no worries. They sell everything Sam’s sells and they have the same warehouse setting. Prices will be Panama prices.

Well now your food and grocery shopping for the week is over and it is probably early afternoon. Your house is clean, everything is put away, the maid is making lunch and coffee for you and you can plan on how to spend the rest of your day in paradise. Unfortunately there will be no snow in the driveway that needs to be shoveled but trust me we all manage somehow.