To search for sunshine, warm temperatures, and pies, pie pal Linda and I escaped on a cruise to Central America. At our port stops in Montenegro, Jamaica; Colon and Panama City, Panama (including a partial transit through the Canal); Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and, Punta Langosta, Cozumel, we kept our eye out for “site specific” pies!
The countries we visited are balancing the impact of growth with protection of their natural resources. The the port cities are expanding their infrastructure to accommodate tourism and container ships, but laws and the sensibilities of the citizens protect the habitat, manage the effects of a changing climate, preserve production of crops such as sugar cane and coffee, and promote local traditions of art and dance.
Panama exemplifies this balancing act. We learned that Panama, with its newly (2017) added second lane in the canal can accommodate about 40 ships a day at an average cost of $250,000 per ship! At the same time, Panama remains a global hotspot for biodiversity and is known for its 10,000 different types of plants and 900 hundred different types of birds. Panama serves as a migratory corridor for birds arriving from as far away as Alaska. With its two coastlines, Panama is also home to abundant sea life including fish and several species of turtles.
People: Cooks who prepare the empanadas from local recipes.
Places: Panama City, Panama and Punta Langosta, Cozumel. Both of these cities are teeming with tourists and have stepped up to meet their interest in the local cuisine.
Pies: Empanadas. Empanadas are actually “hand-pies” and like pies, can be made with a variety of crusts and fillings, and like pies, they reflect local ingredients and cultures. The empanadas we ate in Panama City, were sold from a counter case, heated and served at a table with a local beer. This hand-pie was filled with ground chicken and had a thick soft-dough crust. In Cozumel, the empanadas had a crispy crust topped with guacamole. These, too, were filled with a chicken mix. This one was served on a plate painted using a characteristic Oaxacan technique and a Margarita!
PS We did not lack for a “pie fix” on the ship!
Hi Diane, As usual your powers of observation and expression were on a high note this trip!
I could literally taste the local pies and of course LOVE avocados!! The plates were also so petty and each different, colorful, and unique just like each of the cooks and the countries they represent.
Gracias’ mi amiga!!