Panela

Panela is an unrefined food product, typical of Central and South America, especially Colombia, which is basically a solid piece of sucrose and fructose obtained from the boiling and evaporation of sugarcane juice.

Common Spanish names: chancaca, papelón, piloncillo, panocha, rapadura, atado dulce or empanizao. In India and Pakistan a similar product is made which is called gur or jaggery.

Economics of panela

The main producer of panela is Colombia (about 1.4 million tons/year) [ [http://www.cideiber.com/infopaises/Colombia/Colombia-04-01.html Colombia - Actividades del sector primario - Sector agrícola vegetal ] ] , where panela production is one of the most important economic activities, with the highest index of panela consumption per capita worldwide. To a lesser degree, panela is also produced in Perú, México, Panamá, Venezuela [ [http://blogvisitatachira.blogspot.com/2006/11/el-dulce-proceso-de-la-panela.html Dentro del Táchira: El Dulce Proceso de la Panela ] ] , Ecuador and Bolivia. In Colombia, the panela industry is an important source of employment with about 350.000 people working in nearly 20.000 trapiches (panela farms).

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 small amounts of proteins, calcium, iron and ascorbic acid.

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. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TriGxxC3CV0 - see process]

In Perú 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 México the term panela is applied to certain types of cheese similar to feta cheese. It's white and salty cheese with soft consitence. They use these in carrizo baskets called "Chiquihuetes" to give it a round with ridges shape.

In the Philippines Panocha or in filipinized term Panutsa is traditionally used ingridient for "Latik" and "Kalamay".

References

---- [http://www.villacucina.com.br Villacucina tudo para seu lar]