The main ingredient of the one pot is rice. Its cultivation was established around the 16th century, but there is another version that says rice arrived in Panama thanks to the Chinese, who revived the cultivation that had existed centuries earlier.
Panamanian Rice
The rice cultivation spread so widely that it began replacing native crops and became part of the slaves' diet, leaving aside the popular banana, which was grown in conucos.
Currently, rice is present on Panamanians' tables in various preparations, both sweet and savory, maintaining the tradition left by the slaves in Panamanian culture.
During slavery times, slaves had to make the most of everything available to prepare their meals, and one example of this is the one pot.
Created by Slavery
The one pot is a dish created by slaves, who traditionally prepared it daily, making it a typical colonial Panamanian dish.
The traditional preparation was done in a large pot where slaves mixed rice with all the leftover food they had, cooking everything together.
This dish improved as the conditions of the slaves changed, and thus ingredients like seafood — such as calamari rings, octopus, cod, and shrimp — were incorporated.
Over time, thanks to the abundance of seafood and fish in the one pot, it was adopted as the Antillean paella.
