La Chorrera Travel Guide

Chicheme is a tasty concoction made primarily from corn off the cob. The corn is boiled down, chilled and mixed with milk and sweeteners. There are derivations of the recipe from one Latin American country to the next. Just put the word chicheme in any search engine and you'll find recipes for it. The version made here uses milk and sugar. It's similar to a runny milkshake with corn clumped up in the bottom of the cup. Hits the spot perfectly on a hot day - and Panama has a good 365 out of 365 hot days a year. The business itself is carryout only - no seating, just a counter between the employees and customers. It's busy all day long, but worth the small wait. Also sold are Latin American goodies like empanadas and other small baked goods, but chicheme is the primary item sold here. Cups come in variety of sizes. Biggest cup is bigger than a 7-11 Big Gulp and costs a buck, that's it. Well, maybe it's up to $1.05 now. Try it and you will enjoy it and want to make it for yourself at home afterwards.

I happened to be there when it took place, I heard from everybody it was great so I decided to go... I took a bus, really crowded, 45 minute trip. Not that worth if you're not acquainted with this kind of events. It was similar to "Ferias" in Mexico but with a lot of dirt. A nice thing was that I found a rodeo event which was fun.