Chicheme Chorrerano is an originally Panamanian drink with corn as the essential ingredient, but the others are left up to speculation. It is a cool, refreshing beverage with an intriguing flavor and satisfying texture.

The story goes that the chicheme currently drunk in La Chorrera was introduced by a Mr. Villegas. This Colombian taught a Jamaican the recipe to make mazamorra, or a cornmeal mush blended with milk and sweetened, which is the chicheme Panamanians now drink.

La Chorrera is a Panamanian town in the province of Panama. This region is quite famous for its traditional tamale, known as Chorrerano or Preñao. The tamale is wrapped in the same husks of the corn it is made of, and tied together with string. Chorreranos tamales can be served with any meal during the day. For breakfast it is served whole in its wrapping, and for lunch it is usually served in slices.

Recipe: Chorrerano or Preñao Tamale

Ingredients

24 ears of corn (not hard)

1 lb. smooth pork

1 tomato

1 onion

4 large chili peppers

2 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp. oil

1 can of tomato sauce

Salt, black pepper and hot pepper to taste

Preparation

Slice the corn, grind and strain into a coarse sieve. Then grind the cooked corn, season with salt, and add water to the dough. Prepare the chopped pork with the ground spices, and cook until tender and the sauce has slightly dried. Wash the cut leaves to later wrap the tamale. Put a scoop of the mixture, with a bit of stewed pork inside, in the center of the leaf. Grab the ends of the leaf to wrap up the tamale. Put in salted boiling water and cook for 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before unwrapping.

Bon appétit!