Panela
| Panela | |
|---|---|
| Botanical | Panela |
| Source plant(s) | Sugarcane (Caña de Azucar) |
| Part(s) of plant | Cane |
| Geographic origin | Latin America |
| Uses | Panela Water |
| Main producers | Colombia |
| Main consumers | Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico |
Panela (Spanish pronunciation: [paˈnela]) is unrefined whole cane sugar, typical of Latin America, which is basically a solid piece of sucrose and fructose obtained from the boiling and evaporation of sugarcane juice.
Common Spanish names: rapadura, raspadura, chancaca, papelón, piloncillo, panocha, atado dulce or empanizao. In India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka a similar product is made which is called gur or jaggery. In Brazil, it is known as rapadura. In Laos, it is called nam oy (ນ້ຳອ້ອຍ).
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[edit] Economics of panela
The main producer of panela is Colombia (about 1.4 million tons/year),[1] where panela production is one of the most important economic activities, with the highest index of panela consumption per capita worldwide. Panela is also produced in Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico,[2] Panama, Peru, Venezuela and Bolivia (where it is called chankaka or empanizao). In Colombia, the panela industry is an important source of employment with about 350,000 people working in nearly 20,000 trapichess (panela farms).
[edit] Process
The sugarcane plant is processed in a large press, to obtain the juice, which is cooked at very high temperatures. The panela can be manufactured in disc-shaped pieces or in cubic pieces of cake form and is usually gold or brown in color. Besides sugar, panela also contains large amounts of proteins, calcium, iron and ascorbic acid.
[edit] Uses
The main use of the panela is in aguapanela which is one of the most widely drunk beverages in Colombia. Also it is used as a sweetener and in the preparation of desserts. Since it is a very solid block, most Colombian homes have a resistant river stone (la piedra de la panela) to break the panela into smaller, more manageable pieces.[3] Panela can be purchased in markets, local grocers, and online stores. A very popular type of panela is named "Mi Dulzura" which translates into "My Sweetness". It is made in Villeta, Colombia, and is 100% organic.
Known as piloncillo in México, it is most often seen in the shape of small truncated cones. Many Mexican desserts are made with piloncillo, such as atole, capirotada, champurrado and flan. It is also made blending different spices such as anise, cayenne or chocolate.
In Peru, chancaca is used in typical food such as "champús", "picarones", "calabaza al horno", and "mazamorra cochina". In Costa Rica, it is used in preparations such as "tapa de dulce" and "agua de sapo".
In the Philippines, panocha or in Filipinized term panutsá is traditionally used as an ingredient for "latík" and "kalamay" as well as a comfort food eaten straight.
Panela is also consumed in a granulated format, also known as Whole Cane Sugar, which would look much more like table sugar. Whole cane sugar is much more healthy than traditional sweeteners. Unlike traditional brown sugar, vitamins, minerals, and molasses are not displaced during the processing of the product. It is a much more natural alternative for this reason. A popular type of whole cane sugar is "My Sweetness".
[edit] Record
The city of Palmira, Colombia on 30 November 2009 broke the world record for the largest and heaviest panela, with one that measured 10 feet and 20 inches and weighing 715 kg. For this purpose 70 tons of sugar cane were needed, and 90 people worked for 28 consecutive hours. This panela is the equivalent at 1210 regular 510 gram panelas. The record has not yet been registered by Guinness World Records.
