Mario Castrellón offers one of the best culinary experiences of the Panamanian cuisine and with the help of his creative group he has developed concepts that have transformed the gastronomical offer in the country.

During the past decade, the name Mario Castrellón began to ring a bell in the Panamanian culinary industry. It was not until the opening of his new project, Maito, that the chef would begin to tap into the country’s roots to highlight its identity.

“Ten years ago, when I would meet with my partners, Benito and Manuel, to discuss our new project Maito, we dreamt about finding an ingredient that we could call the best in the world and that would come from Panamanian lands.

We found wonderful ingredients such as bodá, black rice and red rice from Darien; but the search for the product never stopped, and along the way, around 5 years ago to be exact we came to the conclusion that the ingrediente we were longing for was coffee”, he expressed a few months ago in his newsletter – Maito Papers – one of the many channels of communication that he has with his audience.

Discovering the roots

Mario redefined local flavors and exalted everything Panamanian through the use of local ingredients and asian, criolle and afro antillean influences.   His work has received international acknowledgements both for his culinary skills as well as for the social work he does. Because, to be able to accomplish his goal of bringing Panamanian cuisine to the world, you have to know it in its entirety.  

P.L: What makes Panama such a special place and what defines its gastronomy? 

M.C: Definitely its geography; we enjoy the Caribbean, the Pacific and its mountains which gives us diversity. Our gastronomy is defined, in my opinion, as a mixture of all the cultures that have been a part of the development of the country.   It is no surprise to see photos of the Chef touring the Panamanian jungle looking for new ingredients to enhance his concept. This is the key to innovation, the fundamental pillar of his culinary project: Maito. 

The new Panamanian cuisine

Maito is the concept that revolutionized national gastronomy. And it is considered revolutionary because it entails a radical transformation compared to the immediate past regarding the generation of a new point of view and the rescue of the country’s identity.

As one of Mario’s partners – Manuel Ferrer –  highlighted in an interview: “Up until a few years ago, when someone came to Panama and would ask you to take them to the best restaurant, the options were few and most had to do with italian, mediterranean or french cuisine.”  

Mario reinforced his concept by stating his vision very clearly: “bring back old, traditional recipes and add value to them with better technique. That is what I wanted to do with Panamanian cuisine.” 

P.L: Maito was the first Panamanian restaurant to make the 50 Best in Latin America list. How does it feel to be a point of reference for Panamanian gastronomy in the region?  

M.C: It gives us a lot of joy; the whole team works hard on a daily basis to maintain consistency. There is definitely a lot of pressure along the way and we have to deliver. 

Maito has become a creative group that develops varied gastronomical concepts and for all types of palates, both Panamanian and foreign. From this goal, Cafe Unido, Tacos La Neta, Botanica, Fonda La Sexta among others were born.  

P.L: How do you integrate Panamanian flavors with the other cuisine offers in which you are involved?

M.C: The reality is that although every Panamanian has their formula, the main objective of the other concepts is to develop without forcing ourselves to be exclusive to typical Panamanian dishes. 

Panama in 3 questions

We did not want to miss the opportunity to ask somebody who has traveled the country looking for Panamanian elements, his recommendations about the country. 

P.L: 3 dishes that a tourist must try.

M.C: Octopus with coconut, tamales and hojaldras.

P.L: 3 things that a tourist should take from Panama.

M.C: Coffee, a mola and a sombrero pintao.

P.L: A story about Panama that you would like to share.

M.C: More than a story I would call it a feeling. Panama is a small but very powerful country. I think that the person who knows how to appreciate it, be it as a tourist – foreign or local-, can get a lot out of it. 

Mario Castrellón is preparing his bags ready to head to the United States. Cafe Unido – his offer to position Panama coffee as one of the best in the world – will open their first coffee shop in this country, specifically in Washington D.C. 

As he said in his newsletter: “ We have learned so much over the past five years, we have fallen in love not only with Geisha coffee but with everything that this grain entails, we are thankful with each and every one of the producers that opened their doors and allowed us to understand and appreciate that Panama is a leader in innovation and processes, we have learned to live and love this fruit with a passion.

We have been witnesses to how with each year that passes, producers treat this fruit with more integrity, science and progress.” 

This information was developed by Panama Living, a digital platform committed to collecting, researching, and disseminating all the necessary information to turn your interest in Panama into a pleasant and enriching experience.