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Panela () or rapadura (Portuguese pronunciation: ) is an unrefined
whole cane sugar Brown sugar is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar. Brown Sugar may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Brown Sugar'' (1922 film), a 1922 British silent film directed by Fred Paul * ''Brown Sugar'' (1931 film), a 1931 ...
, typical of
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and Latin America. It is a solid form of
sucrose Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula . For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and refined ...
derived from the boiling and evaporation of
sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...
juice. Panela is known by other names in Latin America, such as ''chancaca'' in Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, ''piloncillo'' in Mexico (where ''panela'' refers to a type of cheese, ''
queso panela Queso panela (panela cheese) is a white, fresh and smooth Mexican cheese of pasteurized cow's milk. It is also known as ''queso canasta'' or ''queso de la canasta''. It is served most often as part of appetizer dishes such as ''nopal'' salads or ...
''). The name ''piloncillo'' means "little loaf", because of the traditional shape in which this smoky, caramelly, and earthy sugar is produced. Just like brown sugar, two varieties of ''piloncillo'' are available; one is lighter (''blanco'') and one darker (''oscuro''). Unrefined, it is commonly used in Mexico, where it has been around for at least 500 years. Made from crushed sugar cane, the juice is collected, boiled, and poured into molds, where it hardens into blocks. Elsewhere in the world, the word ''
jaggery Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can ...
'' describes a similar foodstuff. Both are considered
non-centrifugal cane sugar Non-centrifugal cane sugar (NCS) is the technical name given to traditional raw sugar obtained by evaporating water from sugarcane juice. NCS is internationally recognized as a discrete and unique product by the FAO since 1964 and by the World C ...
s. Panela is sold in many forms, including liquid, granulated, and solid blocks, and is used in the canning of foods, as well as in confectionery, soft drinks, baking, and vinegar, beer, and winemaking.


Regional names

* ''
Chancaca Chancaca is a typical Bolivian, Chilean and Peruvian, warm, sweet sauce made of raw unrefined sugar from sugarcane. It is often flavored with orange peel and cinnamon, and is consumed on sopaipillas or picarones. Chancaca is also a synonym for ...
'' in Bolivia, Chile and Peru; also the name of a sweet sauce made from this * ''Dulce de panela'' or ''dulce de atado'' in El Salvador * ''Đường phên'' in Vietnam * ''Gura'' in Afghanistan * ''Gurr'' in Pakistan * ''Jaggery'', ''Bella'' (ಬೆಲ್ಲ), ''Gur'', ''Sharkara'', or ''Vellam'' in India * ''Nam oy'' in Laos * ''Panela'' in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela * ''Papelón'' in Venezuela * ''Piloncillo'' ("little pylon", so named for the cone shape) in Mexico and Spain * ''Rapadou'' in Haiti * ''Rapadura'' in Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and the Dominican Republic * ''Raspadura'' in Cuba, Ecuador, and Panama * ''Tapa de dulce'' or ''Dulce (de tapa)'' in Costa Rica and Nicaragua


Economics

The main producer of panela is Colombia (about 1.4 million tons/year), 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 Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Brazil, and
Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
(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 ''trapiches'' (panela farms). In 2003, Colombian sugarcane contributed 4.2% of the value of agricultural production (not counting coffee) and 1.9% of national agricultural activity of that country. That year, it was ninth in contributions to production value. Similarly, it represents 10.7% of the area for permanent crops and 6.2% of the total area cultivated in Colombia, sixth place among the country's crops, behind only coffee, corn, rice, bananas, and cotton. This product is produced predominantly in the
rural economy Rural economics is the study of rural economies. Rural economies include both agricultural and non-agricultural industries, so rural economics has broader concerns than agricultural economics which focus more on food systems. Rural developmen ...
, the basic economy of 236 municipalities in 12 national departments. An estimated 70,000 farm units cultivate sugarcane for mills, which generate more than 25 million annually in wages, employing around 350,000 people, or 12% of the economically active rural population, making it the second-largest employer after agricultural coffee production. Worldwide, the Colombians are the largest consumers of sugarcane, at more than per capita. To the extent it is a low-cost sweetener with important contributions of minerals and trace amounts of vitamins, high intake occurs mainly in strata. Panela consumption represents 2.18% of expenditures on food and in some areas accounts for up to 9% of food expenditures in low-income sectors.


Uses

Panela was originally created as an easier way to transport sugar. It is used to make ''
chancaca Chancaca is a typical Bolivian, Chilean and Peruvian, warm, sweet sauce made of raw unrefined sugar from sugarcane. It is often flavored with orange peel and cinnamon, and is consumed on sopaipillas or picarones. Chancaca is also a synonym for ...
''. In Peru, ''chancaca'' is used in typical food such as ''
champús Champús is a drink popular in Peru, Ecuador and southwest Colombia, made with maize, fruits such as lulo (also known as naranjilla), pineapple, quince or guanábana, sweetened with panela and seasoned with cinnamon, cloves and orange tree leaves ...
'', ''
picarones Picarones (or Picaron ''singular'') are a Peruvian dessert that originated in Lima during the viceroyalty. It is somewhat similar to buñuelos, a type of doughnut brought to the colonies by Spanish conquistadors. Its principal ingredients are squa ...
'', ''calabaza al horno'', and '' mazamorra cochina''. In
Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
, it is used in preparations such as ''tapa de dulce'' and ''agua de sapo''. In Chile, it is used for sweet ''
sopaipilla A sopaipilla, sopapilla, sopaipa, or cachanga is a kind of fried pastry and a type of quick bread served in several regions with Spanish heritage in the Americas. The word sopaipilla is the diminutive of sopaipa, a word that entered Spanish from ...
s''. A very common use of panela in Colombia is for ''
aguapanela Aguapanela, '' agua de panela'' or ''agüepanela'' is a drink commonly found throughout South America and a few parts of Central America and Caribbean. Its literal translation means "panela water" as it is an infusion made from panela which is der ...
'', one of its most widely consumed beverages, and an important source of calories for working people, especially in rural areas. It is also used in the preparation of '' guarapo'' and various
dessert Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and ...
s. Since it is a very solid block, some Colombian homes have a hard river stone (''la piedra de la panela'') to break the panela into smaller, more manageable pieces. Panela can be purchased in markets, local grocers, and online stores. In parts of coastal Colombia, it is also used for ''chancacas''. 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 Flan may refer to: *Flan (pie), an open sweet or savoury tart, the most common UK meaning *Flan cake, a Filipino cake topped with crème caramel and caramel syrup *Flan de leche or ''crème caramel'', a custard dessert with clear caramel sauce, th ...
''. It is also blended with different spices, such as
anise Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and ta ...
,
cayenne Cayenne (; ; gcr, Kayenn) is the capital city of French Guiana, an overseas region and Overseas department, department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic Oc ...
, or chocolate. In the Philippines, ''
panocha ''Panocha'', in New Mexico and southern Colorado, is a pudding made from ground sprouted wheat and ''piloncillo''. It is traditionally eaten during Lent. The sprouted-wheat flour is called "panocha flour" or simply "panocha", as well. In souther ...
'' or in Tagalog ''panutsá'', is traditionally used as an ingredient for '' latík'' and '' kalamay'', as well as a comfort food eaten straight. In Venezuela, it is an essential ingredient for many typical recipes, although production of panela in the country dropped precipitously across the 20th century.


Health claims

Panela manufacturers and advocates claim the substance to be healthier than refined sugar, suggesting it has immunological benefits, a lower glycemic index, and higher
micronutrient Micronutrients are nutrient, essential dietary elements required by organisms in varying quantities throughout life to orchestrate a range of physiological functions to maintain health. Micronutrient requirements differ between organisms; for exam ...
content. As the authors of ''The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners'' point out, "it's still sugar", with only a trace amount more vitamins and minerals, and little research to support other claims.


Patent

In May 2019, the following patent was issued, claiming health benefits achieved by a particular method of processing raw sugarcane:


National Panela Pageant

The National Panela Pageant takes place in the town of Villeta, Cundinamarca, in Colombia. This town is famous for its production of sugarcane, but the festivities occur in almost all national departments of Colombia in January of each year. Villeta is located from Bogota and has 37,300 inhabitants. The festival has been celebrated since 1977 as a tribute to the hard work and craftsmanship with which the people of the region make panela. It creates a sense of regional and national unity and the sharing of a common bond. Each year, a National Queen is crowned, on the basis of beauty, popularity, and knowledge about the production and marketing of panela.


Gallery

, This is the front of the
Museum of Brown Sugar The Museum of Sugar (in Brazilian Portuguese: ''Museu do Açúcar'') was a museum devoted to the history of the sugar industry in Brazil. It was envisioned by Gil de Methódio Maranhão and created on August 3, 1960 by Resolution 1745 of the Ins ...
, a sugar plantation with historic features in the city of Aquiraz,
Ceará Ceará (, pronounced locally as or ) is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is the eighth-largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the ...
, Brazil. , Rapadura with cashew from the Museu da Rapadura File:Largest rapadura.jpg, Claimed to be the world's largest ''rapadura'', on display on a farm southeast of
Fortaleza Fortaleza (, locally , Portuguese for ''Fortress'') is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. It belongs to the Metropolitan mesoregion of Fortaleza and microregion of Fortaleza. It is Brazil's 5th largest city and the t ...
, Ceara


See also

* Caramelization *
Palm sugar Palm sugar is a sweetener derived from any variety of palm tree. Palm sugar is sometimes qualified by the type of palm, as in coconut palm sugar. While sugars from different palms may have slightly different compositions, all are processed s ...
*'' Papelón con limón'', a drink made with panela *''
Peen tong Peen may refer to: * Part of the head of a hammer, as in a ball-peen hammer (also ''ball-pein'', or ''ball and pein'') * Peening, the changing of a metal's properties by impacting its surface ** Shot peening, bombarding metal parts with small spher ...
'', a Chinese slab brown sugar and sugar candy


References


External links

* * * {{Sugar Agriculture in Colombia Colombian cuisine Economy of Colombia Ecuadorian cuisine Food technology Latin American cuisine Mexican cuisine Sugar Sugar production