Panama 1

Panama is best known for its canal, a project undertaken to shorten shipping routes around the American continents. On December 31, 1999, the United States relinquished control of the canal to Panama making it an independent nation once again. The canal left its mark on Panama in many ways, including the introduction of other cultures and cultural practices to the region.

Panama is a long, narrow country between Costa Rica and Columbia. The lengthwise center of the country is marked by mountains, with a depression in the middle where the canal was built. The mountains also cause vastly different climates with the Caribbean Sea side being wet, and the Pacific Ocean side being dry. Since the country is in the tropical region, it is warm year round.

Panama's culture is a blend of African, Native American, North American, and Spanish influences expressed through traditional arts and crafts, music, religion, and cuisine. I found reference to Chinese influence on food, especially dim sum in Panama. This brought me to a lovely article about teas offered with dim sum. We will be exploring the 4 most popular teas on offer with dim sum - mainly because I already have all 4 types of tea in my stash.


I'm starting with chrysanthemum tea. As you may recall, this is an herbal tea (with a bit of a medicinal taste). I decided to try brewing it in a gaiwan since this method of brewing cuts back on bitter flavors in tea. As it turned out, this does taste better brewed this way.

This tea is said to pair well with steamed dumplings, seafood, and light desserts. I can't say that it is one of my favorites (it is commonly compared to chamomile tea, which to me tastes like something swept up off the barn floor), but the shorter brewing time of a gaiwan definitely helps the flavor.


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