The traditional straw “Panama hat” is actually made in Ecuador. Its usual material is toquilla straw, woven from the leaves of Carludovica palmata, a palm-like plant native to tropical regions of the Americas.
The name is geographical misdirection. Ecuadorian hats were shipped through Panama, an important 19th-century trade route, and became known internationally by the place where travelers encountered or purchased them. Their light weight, breathability, and protection from the tropical sun made them especially useful to workers, travelers, and gold prospectors.
The hat’s reputation grew further after U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing one during a 1906 visit to the Panama Canal construction site. The image linked the hat even more strongly with Panama, although the weaving tradition and production remained Ecuadorian.
Quality depends heavily on the fineness and tightness of the weave. Montecristi and Jipijapa are Ecuadorian places associated with particularly respected varieties. In 2012, Ecuador’s traditional weaving of toquilla hats was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.