There are ingredients that do not understand borders; they come and go between kitchens, languages, mountains, and accents. They adapt, reinvent themselves, and become part of the soul of each country. Plantains, corn, and coffee are three of them—three pillars of our Latin American pantry. Three flavors that differentiate us, yet also unite us.

This post is a culinary journey without a passport. A route that goes from the Venezuelan arepa to the Mexican tamale, from the fried plantains of the Caribbean to the Ecuadorian bolón, and from Colombian coffee to the sweetened café de olla. Because in the end, what changes is the form… the heart, and the aroma, remain the same.

Shared Ingredients: CORN: FOUNDATION, MYTH, AND RESISTANCE

VENEZUELA AND COLOMBIA If there is one product that defines Venezuela, it is corn. The arepa, a national symbol, is made with pre-cooked cornmeal, then grilled, baked, or fried, and filled in infinite ways. In Colombia, the arepa is also queen, though often thinner and frequently served without a filling as an accompaniment to all kinds of meals. There, it is also used in tamales and sweet wraps like corn almojábanas.

MEXICO Here, corn is not just food: it is a foundational myth. The Mexica people believed that humans were made of corn. The corn tortilla accompanies every meal and is an inseparable part of their identity. It is prepared fresh, pressed, and cooked on a comal (griddle). Additionally, pozole, sopes, tlacoyos, and tamales showcase the diversity of its use.

PERU AND BOLIVIA In these Andean countries, corn comes in varieties such as choclo and purple corn (maíz morado). It is used in traditional drinks like chicha morada or chicha de jora, as well as in humitas, sweet tamales, and steamed cakes. Toasted corn, or cancha serrana, is a typical snack that accompanies ceviches or soups.

GUATEMALA AND EL SALVADOR Here we find pupusas: corn discs stuffed with cheese, chicharrón (pork rinds), or beans. They are eaten with curtido (pickled vegetable slaw) and tomato sauce. In Guatemala, red or black tamales are an essential part of festivities, made with corn dough and various sauces.

Corn, as you can see, transforms but never disappears. It is in breakfast, lunch, and snacks. In the sacred and the everyday. It is root and resistance.

Shared Ingredients: PLANTAINS: VERSATILE, TASTY, INFALLIBLE

VENEZUELAN In the pabellón criollo, fried sweet plantains (tajadas) are a sweet embrace that balances the savory. They are also used in empanadas, plantain pie, and bollos pelones. Green plantains, meanwhile, are fried as tostones, made into the marvelous Zulian patacones, or boiled and served with butter or cheese. Not to mention the delicious bocadillo de plátano (plantain fudge), which some of our grandmothers used to hide to prevent greedy grandkids, careful children, or hungry husbands from snatching them away.

COLOMBIA Here we see them in their own version of patacones (mashed and twice-fried), in the aborrajado (sweet plantain stuffed with cheese and deep-fried in batter), or in breakfast calentados, where rice, beans, and tajadas are mixed.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND PUERTO RICO The famous Puerto Rican mofongo or Dominican mangú starts with green plantains mashed with garlic, lard, and chicharrón. In both countries, it is the centerpiece of the plate rather than a side dish. During Christmas, pasteles made from plantain dough are as important to them as hallacas are to us.

ECUADOR AND PERU In Ecuador, the bolón de verde (a green plantain ball with cheese or chicharrón) is a national breakfast staple. There is also the corviche (plantain dough with fried fish). In Peru, it is used in garnishes for fish or in Amazonian recipes like tacacho. Across the continent, the plantain is a resource, a heritage, and a delight. Whether green or ripe, fried or boiled, stuffed or plain, it is never missing from the table.

Shared Ingredients: COFFEE: THE SCENT OF HOME, A UNIVERSAL RITUAL

COLOMBIA AND VENEZUELA Both countries share a passion for coffee. In Venezuela, it is drunk in many versions: guayoyo, marrón, tetero, cerrero. At any hour. In Colombia, mild single-origin coffee is world-famous, and the coffee-growing regions are a source of national pride.

MEXICO In Chiapas, Veracruz, or Puebla, café de olla is served: prepared with cinnamon, piloncillo (raw cane sugar), and sometimes orange peel. It is cooked in clay pots and sipped slowly, like a ceremony.

BRAZIL As the world’s leading producer, coffee in Brazil is both culture and economy. The cafezinho is a way of greeting, welcoming, or saying thank you. Short, strong, and sweet.

CUBA Cuban coffee is strong and short, almost like an espresso with sugar. It is served after every meal and is a symbol of resistance and identity. Coffee is not just a drink. It is conversation, a pause, affection. It is in the sobremesa (after-dinner talk), in the early mornings, and in reunions.

A CULINARY LANGUAGE WE ALL SPEAK

There is a profound beauty in recognizing that the same ingredients accompany us, even if we prepare them differently. Corn becomes a tortilla, an arepa, or a pupusa. The plantain becomes a tajada, mangú, or bolón. Coffee is served in a small clay cup or a large mug with milk.

These differences do not separate us; they enrich us. They speak of climate, geography, history, and creativity—of how each people made what they had on hand their own. And of how today, in the kitchens of the world, new ways of preparing these same flavors continue to be born.

AT PANNA, DIVERSITY IS ALSO SERVED At PANNA, we celebrate these shared ingredients. That is why our breakfasts include arepas, cachapas, pan de bono, and Venezuelan, Colombian, and Argentine empanadas. Our coffee is the kind that wakes up memories, not just mornings. Because beyond the recipes, we share a culture. And that, too, is served at the table.