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Esencias Panameñas, Washington D.C., DC (2025)

08/21/2025

In commemoration of National Flan Day, I decided to do something different and outside the box. I made a "chicheme" flan or hominy corn flan.... don't knock it 'till you try it. It actually taste like a spiced custard 😀

En conmemoración del Día Nacional del Flan, decidí hacer algo diferente y fuera de lo común. Hice un flan de chicheme o flan de maíz trillado... no lo juzgues antes de probarlo. Sabe a postre de maiz con especias 😀

08/17/2025

Making my Dulce De Ron Abuelo (Ron Abuelo Rum Cake) on today's National Rum Cake.

Purchase a signed copy of my Panama On A Plate cookbook for the recipe.

🙆‍♀️

08/17/2025

Making my "Dulce de Ron Abuelo" (Ron Abuelo Rum Cake) on this National Rum Day (August 16th)..... recipe is in my Panama On A Plate Cookbook. Get your signed copy from Esencias Panamenas :-)

08/10/2025

Today is National Rice Day..... this art made of rice by Edgar Artis

07/30/2025

July 29th - National Chicken Wings Day!

How do you like your wings - naked or sauced? Fried or baked?

Today, I made Mango BBQ wings. This is a fan favorite at Esencias Panameñas. They are baked instead of fried and perfectly crispy on the outside. Not to mention, they are sweet and full of mango flavor, taking it to another level!

Purchase our 'Panama On A Plate' cookbook for the recipe or order these delicious wings already cooked on

🙆‍♀️

07/28/2025

The results of Washington City Paper’s Best of DC 2025 competition have been revealed, and it’s official: Washington City Paper's readers named us as the second best empanadas in the District of Columbia!

We want to say thank you to all our customers for voting us as Best Empanada. Your support means so much to us! 🤤

You can order our empanadas and try the best for yourself here: https://esenciaspanamenas.com
— in Washington, DC.

07/16/2025

July 16 – National Corn Fritters Day!!!

Julio 16 – Dia Nacional de las Torrejas de Maiz Nuevo!!

It is Summertime and Corn is in season... and today is National Corn Fritters Day. Corn fritters are fried cakes made with sweet corn, originating in Native American cuisine. They have become a traditional sweet and savory snack in the South. In Panama we call them “Torrejas de Maiz Nuevo”, because sweet corn is also known as “new” corn.

Here is a quick recipe for corn fritters: kernels cut from 4 ears corn; 2 tbl evaporated milk; ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp pepper; 1 tbl sugar; ½ cup AP flour; 1 tbl cornstarch; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; ½ cup queso blanco (optional). Mix all ingredients into a batter and spoon into hot oil and fry until golden brown.

For this and other corn recipes, you can find them in Chef Yadira’s cookbook, Panama on a Plate, at EsenciasPanamenas.com!

07/14/2025

July 14th is National Mac & Cheese Day!

Do you like traditional mac & cheese or with variation, like lobster mac & cheese? . . . . And how many cheeses do you put in your Mac & Cheese?

Mac & cheese is a staple food and a beloved comfort food in the US. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Europe, with pasta and cheese dishes appearing in cookbooks as early as the 14th century.

Thomas Jefferson is credited for introducing mac & cheese in the US. He brought the recipe back from France after a trip there. His enslaved Chef, James Hemings, adapted and prepared the dish, and he served it at a state dinner in 1802, popularizing it in the US.

As a kid, my mom would prepare Kraft Dinner, which is boxed mac & cheese. She would also make Johnny Marzetti, which was a variation of mac & cheese, made with meat sauce.

And now, as an adult, I make traditional mac & cheese from scratch with five cheeses: sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, gruyere, mozzarella, and parmigiano reggiano

07/14/2025

July 14th is National Mac & Cheese Day!

Do you like traditional mac & cheese or with variation, like lobster mac & cheese? . . . . And how many cheeses do you put in your Mac & Cheese?

Mac & cheese is a staple food and a beloved comfort food in the US. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Europe, with pasta and cheese dishes appearing in cookbooks as early as the 14th century.
Thomas Jefferson is credited for introducing mac & cheese in the US. He brought the recipe back from France after a trip there. His enslaved Chef, James Hemings, adapted and prepared the dish and he served it at a state dinner in 1802, popularizing it in the US.

As a kid, my mom would prepare Kraft Dinner, which is boxed mac & cheese. She would also make Johnny Marzetti, which was a variation of mac & cheese, made with meat sauce.

And now as an adult, I make traditional mac & cheese from scratch with five cheeses: sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, gruyere, mozzarella, and parmigiano reggiano😋

07/12/2025

July 11th is National French Fries Day!!!

French fries are commonly made with white potatoes, salted, and served with some sort of dip like ketchup. My preference is sweet potato fries, but I also enjoy white potato fries, but they must be very thin like frites; I do not like steak fries.

I use the “cold-start” frying method when making french fries. This technique uses half the oil, skips the double frying, and still achieves crunchy fries with deep potato flavor. (It also minimizes mess and any scary splattering). In cold-start frying, set a deep pot filled with 4 cups of canola oil and 3 yukon gold (or sweet) potatoes cut into fries over high heat. As the oil heats, the food slowly softens and cooks through, browning and crisping up at the end as the oil eventually reaches a boil (25-30 minutes). It requires less oil and little temperature monitoring. If you’re worried about your fries coming out greasier with this method, I assure you that will not happen 😊

07/12/2025

July 11th is National French Fries Day!!!

French fries are commonly made with white potatoes, salted, and served with some sort of dip like ketchup. My preference is sweet potato fries, but I also enjoy white potato fries, but they must be very thin like frites; I do not like steak fries.

I use the “cold-start” frying method when making french fries. This technique uses half the oil, skips the double frying, and still achieves crunchy fries with deep potato flavor. (It also minimizes mess and any scary splattering). In cold-start frying, set a deep pot filled with 4 cups of canola oil and 3 yukon gold (or sweet) potatoes cut into fries over high heat. As the oil heats, the food slowly softens and cooks through, browning and crisping up at the end as the oil eventually reaches a boil (25-30 minutes). It requires less oil and little temperature monitoring. If you’re worried about your fries coming out greasier with this method, I assure you that will not happen 😊

06/25/2025

It’s National Fish Day, and we’re serving it up the Panamanian way—with bold flavor and serious crunch!

Our whole fried fish escovitch-style is a must-try: perfectly crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and topped with a tangy, spicy pickled pepper and onion escabeche that brings the heat and the flavor.

This dish is a celebration of Afro-Caribbean roots, coastal tradition, and the kind of flavor that keeps you coming back for more. From fried fish to savory seafood stews, Panamanian cuisine knows how to make fish the star of the plate!

Tag someone who needs to try this.

Esencias Panameñas

08/21/2025

08/17/2025

08/17/2025

08/10/2025

07/30/2025

07/28/2025

07/16/2025

07/14/2025

07/14/2025

07/12/2025

07/12/2025

06/25/2025

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