A Taste of the Darién

On long days spent in the village—walking under the sun, talking, weaving—something sweet and fresh is always welcome. A few of our favorite local treats? Sugar cane and oranges.

Here in the Darién, the oranges don’t look like you’d expect. They ripen in shades of green and yellow, not bright orange. You take a well-worn kitchen knife—always sharp, always handy—and shave off the skin. Then, slice the fruit open and press it to your mouth to drink the juice straight from the peel. No fuss, just flavor.

Another favorite is fresh sugar cane. The bark is shaved off with that same knife, revealing the fibrous core inside. You chew it slowly, and it releases a clean, gentle sweetness—cooling and satisfying in the heat.

In the photo, you’ll also spot yucca. Like many foods here, it’s often shared from one household to another. Families tend to specialize—some in fishing, others in yucca, oysters, or meat—and these networks of sharing support the entire community.

The same is true for weaving. Basket materials are cultivated and exchanged across families: chunga for coiling, vegetal dyes for color, and naguala for structure. These interwoven systems of survival, tradition, and care are what keep the Wounaan—and their craft—thriving.