Before the trademark goons from Ralston Purina come to get me, let me point out that as far as I know, they do have a right to the brand name "Purina Gringo Chow" and to the best of my knowledge they don't have the stuff on the market. At least not yet.

What I'm talking about is American-style food. Not the stuff like McDonalds' burgers that have conquered the world, but so many other products that, just as vegemite is clearly Australian, are distinctly part of the US culture. As in things that are unusual to the Panamanian diet.

Yes I know. We are an international commercial and cultural crossroads that was for three-quarters of a century bisected by a US colony and for a generation afterwards home to a complex of US military bases. The cultural mix is evident from so many of the signs you see on storefronts, and from a stroll down the aisles of just about any supermarket.

But try to find red licorice in Panama City. Or fresh cranberries in mid to late November. Or Campbell's Bean with Bacon Soup. Or Italian sausage. Or decent whole wheat or rye bread. You know --- Purina Gringo Chow.

If you are an unassimilated or unassmilable American coming down here to retire in your little cocoon of North American culture because you can afford a dignified existence in Panama that's beyond your means up there, or if you have already melded into one of the many shades of Panagringo but have these occasional urges, you need to know where to get your fix.

In Panama City, by far the most complete selection of Purina Gringo Chow is to be found at the Riba Smith supermarkets. The bigger one is on the Transistmica, a block north of Via Brasil, and there's another one just up the street from Parque Urraca, on Calle 46. If you have problems with mobility as many retirees do, Riba Smith offers an extra added advantage --- you can go to their website, order online, and have your groceries delivered to your home.

That takes care of most of the items I mentioned above. However, in Panama it's much easier to score illegal drugs than to find red licorice. Black licorice is also difficult to encounter, for that matter, but for those with a fondness for that taste, you can find Chinese licorice plums at a number of places. And yes, you can find whole wheat bread in a lot of places and sometimes even rye bread, but I was spoiled by the Koepplinger's products in the Detroit area for many years and I haven't found anything of that quality here. Somehow I manage without the gooey tuna salad on Koepplinger's black Bohemian rye bread sandwiches, and I've almost forgotten what a true Reuben is like. But when the craving for Purina Gringo Chow grabs ahold of me and won't let go, it generally sends me to Riba Smith.