Colombian panela: base for desserts and hot or cold drinks
Learn about Colombian panela , its health benefits, its history and the different ways to enjoy it in the country.
A must-have product in the family basket is Colombian panela . Did you know that Colombians consume 19 kilos of panela per year? Although Colombia is one of the countries in the world that consumes it the most, it is not the only one. For example, it is enjoyed in Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, India and Pakistan.
Colombian panela is a natural sweetener. It is produced from sugar cane and, best of all, it is not refined or bleached like regular sugar. In Colombia, it is dissolved in water and consumed cold as a refreshing drink or hot as an accompaniment. This is known as aguapanela or agüepanela .
Panela contains vitamins from sugar cane juice. It contains vitamins A, B, C, D and E. It also contains proteins and minerals, such as calcium, iron, copper and phosphorus. Making it a very good natural product.
H2: Colombian panela as a base for other Colombian sweets
Homemade Colombian sweets are still traditional. They are still consumed the way they were in Colombia when sugar cane arrived in the country. For example, they use panela to make dulce de panela, which is a dark, flavorful honey. The syrup is put on cuajada, a low-flavor fresh cheese. This is called cuajada con melao and is consumed throughout the country.
They also use it to make tempting plantains. These plantains are cooked in panela with cloves and cinnamon until they are tender. They are served as a dessert or as a side dish for lunch or dinner. They are enjoyed throughout the country for their aroma and flavor.
Panela is also an ingredient in Natilla, a typical Christmas dessert similar to gelatin. Its preparation also uses milk, cinnamon, cornstarch, water and raisins.
H2: Colombian products with panela
In Colombia, panelitas or cocadas are very well known. These are coconut bites sweetened with panela. It is a very typical dessert that does not require baking in its preparation. This dessert has its origins in the Africans who arrived on the continent during the time of slavery.
Colombian panela is commonly known as a block, but it is also produced ground . There is no difference in its flavor, but there is in its presentation. In Colombia it is typical to find this product in homes. When ground, it is an excellent substitute for white sugar due to its practicality. With it you can sweeten cold or hot drinks, obtaining all its nutritional benefits.
No matter how you prefer it, in desserts or as a sweetener, Colombian panela is one of those Colombian products that is representative of the country. In addition, with its production and consumption, indigenous people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta are helped to obtain a livelihood (Benavente, 2021).
Bibliographic References
Benavente, L. (2021). Panela, a sweet bet for indigenous people to continue living in the Sierra of Colombia. UN News. https://news.un.org/es/story/2021/11/1500632
Celis, T. (2017). A Colombian consumes 19 kilos of panela per year . Agronegocios. https://www.agronegocios.co/agricultura/un-colombiano-consume-19-kilos-de-panela-cada-ano-2622598#
The farmer (2020). A little history about the process and production of panela. https://elcampesino.co/a-little-history-about-the-process-and-production-of-panela/
Mother Earth. (2022). What is Panela? Oxfam intermón . https://www.tierramadre.org/tierra-madre-noticias-destacadas/que-es-la-panela
Trujillo, J. (sf). What is panela. Direct to the Palate. https://www.directoalpaladar.com/cultura-gastronomica/que-es-la-panela
