The cuisine of Colón features the best of the many flavors brought and blended by the cultures that over the centuries have settled Colón. Regional dishes have been influenced by the different cultures found here: the afro-Panamanians from colonial times, the Afro-Caribbeans who arrived with the railroad and canal, the Spaniards, the indigenous peoples, Asians, Middle Easterners, Jews, Indians, Greeks and Italians. Of all of these, the flavors that most stand out are those characteristic of the Afro-Panamanian and Afro-Caribbean cultures.

These dishes often include seafood (mariscos) and coconut milk (leche de coco). The most popular include rice with coconut milk and beans (guanú), fried fish stuffed with greens and chopped peppers, octopus (pulpo) and conch (cambombia) stewed in coconut milk, stewed saltcod (bacalao), pork tail with coconut rice (rabito con arroz con coco), chicken and rice (arroz con pollo), and many versions of soup, including seafood (sopa de mariscos), beef shank (sopa de pata de res), or the classic sancocho. These dishes are often served with fried green or ripe plantains (patacones or maduros fritos), sweet plantains in syrup (plátano en tentación), or a potato salad made with beets, carrots, and petits pois.

To drink, Colón offers a rainbow of tropical juices (chichas): these include nance, tamarind, sugarloaf with lime (panela con limón), soursop (guanábana), ising glass, creamed corn (chicheme), and rice and milk (arroz con leche), to name only the most popular.

This short overview of the cuisine of the Atlantic coast has yet to mention baked goods. Once again, the Afro-Caribbean community provides some bakery highlights. Fruitcakes made with sweet wine or rum (dulces de frutas), the famous hot cross bun eaten during Holy Week (bon), beef patties (paties de carne) and sweet plantain cakes (paties de maíz) are the favorites of Colón’s residents. The coastal areas are also well-know for their enyucado and the fruited bread known by the Caribbeans as bread pudin.