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Food, Glorious Food! Panama Supermarkets
2008-03-06 08:00:00
If music be the food of love, play on! Not a Shakespeare fan? Wouldnīt know a Twelfth-Night from an Eleventh?? Even if you are, and you would, letīs face it, FOOD is the food of life and thus, love. If you are considering a move to Panama, you might wonder about the kinds of food and products you are going to find.
A Rainbow of Produce You will find a cornucopia of fresh fruits and vegetables. Youīll find the usual favorites for your grill or salad. And, of course, youīll find a wide variety of tropical items that you probably already know and love, with few exceptions. The difference will be in the price. Fresh produce in Panama costs a fraction of the norm in North America, and especially Europe. Plus, most items are available year-round. If you enjoy the color and taste of fruits and vegetables, youīll be amazed at the abundance and quality.
Name Brands
While you wonīt find everything you are used to, you will have a wide variety of familiar American and ethnic products. Sadly, for Britons, you might be the hardest hit. Itīs hard to find well-known British favorites. Though oddly, you will be able to find several Israeli and Chinese products.
We do see a lot of familiar American brand-names here: Nestle, Blue Ribbon, Kraft, Nabisco, etc etc. You will not be able to find everything, nor anywhere near the product selection you are accustomed to, but you will most likely find enough staple items to cover your basics. The rest you will have people send to you, learn to bring back with you, or ask the manager at your local supermarket to order. He may or may not be able or willing to help, but it`s worth a shot. But where do you shop?
Markets Thereīs a fruit market in Curundu, a slightly dodgy part of Panama City. There you can buy fresh food even more cheaply than usual, in bulk.
Thereīs a fish market, also in a slightly dodgy part of town, but if you love seafood, this is the place to buy it.
Mini-Supers Affectionately known as Chinos, [often run by hardworking Chinese families], your neighborhood is very likely to have a handy corner store. Here you can buy all your basic needs, and some peculiar extras, at a slightly higher mark up than usual.
Specialty Stores There is one Indian and one Korean supermarket. There are several Chinese stores where you can buy Asian products, dry goods, veggies, tofu, medicines, and the like. Thereīs also the Kosher Deli where you can find a lot of items you would not find anywhere else, though obviously the emphasis is on kosher products of all kinds. Don`t let the name fool you though. This is a full supermarket which, according to www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org is the largest kosher emporium outside of Israel. Impressive.
Bulk Buys - Warehouse Stores There are two warehouse supermarkets in Panama. One, "Mega Depot" is non-membership based. It has many American and local products to buy in bulk. The quality varies, as does the selection.
Costco is here in Panama, too, though itīs known as "PriceSmart" in the region. Again, you will find many American bulk favorites, but nowhere near what you are used to. Your membership card from the US [if valid] will work here, too. If you forget your US card, you can buy a new membership easily for around $30 a year. Itīs money well spent for the savings. I buy almost all my fresh produce there, and my meat, exclusively. It is the best meat in the city. I shop there once a week.
Supermarkets There really are only four supermarket chains worth mentioning. They carry almost all the same products, with few exceptions. They do vary in price, quality and service, however. No doubt you will find your own favorite, meanwhile, hereīs an overview of each:
SuperXtra Cheap. Emphasis on local and Chinese products. Fairly clean. Very popular with the locals. I canīt really say why, but Iīve only ever shopped there once. I just didnīt feel comfortable there. They have a nice website, though : www.SuperXtra.com
Super99 This used to be my favorite supermarket. Itīs quite inexpensive with a good selection of my familyīs favorites. I would faithfully shop there each week, happily saving with my "Frequent Shopper Card". Lately, Iīve become disillusioned. There are often insects in the products, and the store itself. You have to check each productīs expiration date, and even then you will sometimes find something rancid. Their stores are getting dirtier and dirtier and service has gone completely downhill. Waiting 30 minutes to get through check-out in an under-air conditioned store is not my idea of fun, especially when there are only three cashiers open on a pay-day weekend. Ridiculous. I finally got tired of poor quality food and service and rarely go there anymore. Itīs worth checking out for yourself, though, if you happen to have one near you. You can decide for yourself. Most are open 24 hours, which is super-handy!
RibaSmith This is a very popular supermarket with expats. It has a wide selection of products, though it is a bit more expensive than most. There are only three in the chain, which is maybe why they are so busy. I often shop here for a few specialty items I can`t find elsewhere. I hear another store is about to be opened in the lovely Costa del Este. That should prove another popular local.
El Rey For those that donīt know Spanish, El Rey means The King. And so it is "the King" of Panamanian supermarkets. When you walk in, it has the appearance of any North American or European supermarket. Itīs clean. The prices are slightly higher than the other local chains [with the exception of RibaSmith] but itīs worth it for the selection, quality and service. They are also open 24 hours. Their fruits and vegetables in particular are above average. This is my new favorite place to shop, and frankly Iīm wondering why it took me so long to see how good it is. They also have a frequent shopper card on which you accumulate points. These you redeem with their extensive, though not overly impressive, catalog of appliances and coupons. Service is usually fast and friendly.
Shopping Tips
Shopping in Panama is no extraordinary experience, as in say...Malaysia. Nonetheless there are some general tips to help you on your way:
Check expiration dates: In the US it is illegal for a store to have on its shelves a product within a year of expiration. Panama`s distributors happily buy shipping containers full of such products, despite a similar law. You can get caught out by buying something already, or very soon to expire. It just becomes a habit to check them.
Check receipts: If you are too busy while at check-out to watch as each items clears the scanner, at least check your receipt before you leave. It is not uncommon to be overcharged for something, or charged twice for the same item. You are also as likely to NOT be charged for something, though this might not bother you as much as it does me!
Get membership cards: It normally only takes a minute or two to fill out the information form. It s time well spent because you have to shop ? why not get something out of it, whether it is savings or points.
Give the check-out boys a little something: When you get to check-out you will almost certainly be approached by that lane`s assigned bag packer. He will usually empty your shopping cart for you, and bag your items. If you have a lot of bags, or even if you just want help getting your bags to the car, he`ll help you. In return it is custom to tip him anywhere between $ 0.25 - $0.50. Honestly, they usually expect more from foreigners.
Your first few trips to the stores will be an adventure. Hopefully youīll have a great time looking around, exploring the aisles and the individual supermarkets. It won`t be long before you decide which supermarket is for you. Or, perhaps like me, you will have more than one favorite. Does it matter? Grocery shopping is a part of life. It is the wonderful food that you will create and serve your loved ones that is the spice of life. Enjoy!
For more information about Panama Food and Supermarkets, and for ALL your Panama Lifestyle, Panama Travel or Panama Real Estate needs, contact
Douglas M. Choy at
ThinkPanama.com. They will be happy to provide any guidance and information you may need.
