The basic recipe is simple, but every family in Panama has its own way of making it. The province of Veraguas is especially famous for its sancocho. Locals say a real sancocho needs free-range chicken, plenty of fresh culantro, and at least an hour of patient simmering on the stove.
The most important herb is culantro. It looks a bit like a long, jagged blade of grass, but it tastes like a stronger, more peppery cousin of coriander. Many Panamanian kitchens have a little pot of it growing on a sunny windowsill.
Sancocho is sometimes called 'levanta muerto' - which playfully means 'wakes you up'. People drink a small cup of warm broth on cold mornings or when they are feeling a bit tired. It is meant to put a smile back on your face.
Sharing sancocho is part of how Panamanian families spend time together. The pot sits in the middle of the table, and everyone helps themselves and chats while they eat. A Sunday sancocho can easily last two or three hours.