Panela holds great agricultural (and economic) importance for Colombia, which is the second largest producer of uncentrifugal cane sugar in the world after India. It was from India that sugar was introduced to the West, courtesy of the Portuguese.
Panela is a key component of the Bogotá and Colombian diet; most people have a block in their pantry, used in everything from tea to pastries. Because it is cheap and abundant, many poor Colombians get most of their calories from panela, and the average Colombian consumes about 75 pounds of it per year.
Boiling blocks of panela in water creates aguapanela, a sweet beverage enjoyed hot or cold, with lemon juice. Aguapanela is also considered a natural energy drink, thanks to its high calories (and the fact that it is basically sugar); world-famous cyclist professionals from the Cundiboyacense highlands endorse it. When boiled with ginger, chamomile, and lemon, it also becomes a local remedy for colds.
Aguapanela is often served with different types of bread, such as almojábanas, cornflake wraps, and flatbread arepas. Its infusion with ginger is tasty, and in some cases, it is mixed with rum and eucalyptus leaves for delicious cocktails... cheers!
