What is panela - healthy sugar? Origin, use & recipe idea

Introduction

We always connect sugar with a bad, unhealthy food. This is also true with conventional sugar. But there is sugar that is healthier and accordingly a little better for our conscience. We are talking about panela sugar. Panela is mainly used in South America, where our recipe idea also comes from the end of the contribution.

Panela is an unaffected pipe sugar from Ecuador. In contrast to the white refinade sugar and cane sugar known in this country, it contains essential nutrients and impresses with a wonderfully caramel taste. In this article we explain why processing the sugar makes a big difference when it comes to obtaining important nutrients in the sugar.

In this article we explain why processing the sugar makes a big difference when it comes to obtaining important nutrients in the sugar and also give you delicious recipes with panela.

Table of contents

1. What is Panela sugar?
2. Processing- difference between Raffinade & Panela sugar
3. Panela sugar recipes ideas
   1. Panela sugar with Guayusa Recipe
   2. Guayusa Tea with panela & lemon, orange or yuzu
   3. Icetea Guayusa with panela
   4. PanelGuayusa-Energy cockies with lemon

1. What is panela sugar?

Panela is a unaffected one Pipe sugar From Ecuador. In contrast to the white refinade sugar and cane sugar known in this country, it contains essential nutrients and impresses with a wonderfully caramel taste.

2. Processing- difference between Raffinade & Panela sugar

When we use the sugar in the supermarket, there is usually “Refinade sugar” on the package. But what does that actually mean?

The refining is a process for cleaning, separation or refinement.

With regard to sugar, refining means that the cane juice or beet juice is washed and centrifuged as the first processing step. The next step is to decolorate due to activated carbon and the configuration in a vacuum. Then a filtration takes place that allows the juice to crystallize. These processes are repeated until the well -known sweet and white sugar is created. The result is an almost pure sucrose without fiber, fats, vitamins, proteins and minerals. Seen in this way, a dead carbohydrate without real benefits for our body.

At Panela it is different. This special cane sugar is pressed with a mechanical engineer. The cane juice is collected and the remaining cellulose from the cane sugar is used as a compost for new earth.

The cold -pressed cane juice is then heated in large tubs. The increasing mass is constantly stirred. After the sugar has been heated for some time, it reaches the maximum concentration. At this point, the panela is poured into shapes or spread out on large areas. It now crystallizes in a natural way without centrifuging, vacuuming or filtering.

Panela sugar differs not only in its production, which receives important nutrients and does without chemistry, but also in taste and color.

With a lighter, full -bodied caramel note, it stands out from the taste of conventional sugar, meltes on the tongue and has a brown shiny color.

Of course, panela mainly consists of carbohydrates, but in contrast to the sugar content of 99.9 percent to 100 percent with Raffinade sugar, panela sugar consists of only 86 percent of sugar. The remaining 14 percent are fats, proteins, vitamins such as B1 and B2, minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron and some fiber and water. 

3. Panela sugar recipes ideas

3.1. Panela sugar with Guayusa Recipe

Guayusa tea Is that traditional drink in Ecuador to Wake and focused to be. Our Top 10 preparationn can be found in the linked contribution. However, it has nothing Mate To do and tastes much more pleasant because the tea does not contain bitter substances. Our comparison of many teas, such as Matcha, Rooibos, Mate and Guayusa You can find in the article "Tea varieties comparison".

For a delicious Guayusa Tea with panela you proceed as the following dimensions:

1. Use one of the preparation methods of Guayusa Tea (boiling, cold or even ice water)
2. Give Pro 400 ml of tea glass approx. 2 tablespoons of panel sugar
3. You can also our Stainless steel tea string, a filter bag or our 950 ml of glass jug with tea sieve to use.

3.2. Guayusa Tea with panela & lemon, orange or yuzu

Lemons, oranges or the special one are suitable for a delicious tea with citrus taste Yuzu fruit.

1. Prepare yourself in the case of cup Guayusa Tea too
2. Add an El Panela Sugar per cup
3. Use the 1/4 of a lemon, yuzu or orange

3.3. Icetea Guayusa with panela

For a refreshing ice tea in summer you can Guayusa also prepare as a cold-brew or even ice-break.

1. Use cold tap water and pour yours over Guayusa tea
2. Put the over poured Guayusa Tea in the fridge for 4-12 hours
3. Now stir 1 tablespoon of panela sugar into the tea
4. Also add a dash of lemon, orange and/or yuzu

3.4. PanelGuayusa-Energy cockies with lemon

A particularly delicious panela recipe with an extra kick results when you Guayusa powder uses for baking.

1. 500g flour
2. Abriting of a lemon + lemon water
3. 200g panela sugar
4. 10g Guayusa powder
5. Baking agent
6. Water, milk/milk alternative

Stir everything together until you have a firm dough. Form round cockies and bake until they start to get hard, but are still soft (not wet) inside.