His Majesty “The Sous”

This dish is eaten in Panama throughout the year, especially on weekends (Friday nights and Saturdays) and at birthday parties in popular neighborhoods.

I consider it the most exotic dish in ALL of our cuisine. No other recipe is as daring and controversial as SOUS , and even its name is controversial. Some call it SAO , others SOUSE , and they have explanations for their ways of naming it.

SOUSE is the most general name and refers to the liquid used to pickle with lemon, vinegar and vegetables, usually onions, pickles, etc. From there comes the word “SOUS” and the more “Panamanian”: “SAO”

Its ingredients and preparation

The magic of this dish lies in its ingredients, all so simple but at the same time requiring culinary skill and ability to achieve a balanced and perfect SOUS . The basic ingredients are: pig's feet, onion, cucumber, chombo pepper, lemon juice and vinegar.

Let's talk about the little paws, which are the ones that steal the show.

• Step 1. They must be very, very clean. At La Tapa Del Coco we have developed a special skill to be able to clean more than 300 paws per week. You can use a razor, a razor blade or a shaver to leave the skin of the paw completely free of impurities and hairs that are almost invisible to the eye.

• Step 2. The cooking of the pig's feet is done in two parts, and some people do it in three. There is a first cooking process in which they are boiled and the impurities are removed, and a second cooking process in which they are softened to the ideal point. Neither so soft that they fall apart, nor so hard that they cannot be enjoyed. It is ART, and even more so because the pig's feet never react the same, since the cooking time is impacted by many factors, such as the size of the pig's feet and the age of the pigs they come from.

The final mixture. Make a kind of vinaigrette with the rest of the ingredients and add a little water from cooking the trotters (to give it that touch, as my grandmother used to say) and submerge the trotters in it, at least 3 hours before serving.

What it represents today

For me and my team, being able to offer this dish every day and make it of high quality represents a cultural victory. A dish that came to our country thanks to the labor of my ancestors who came to build the PANAMA CANAL, is now eaten throughout our territory, from Chiriquí and Bocas to Darién.

In short, SOUS is the dish that I most enjoy eating with my friends after a long day at work. On special occasions such as parties and celebrations, it will always be a tradition for this dish to be part of the most special moments. We are proud to be able to offer it on our menu every day and that it can arrive fresh to your table and be part of the most special moments of our community.