This post is also available in Spanish
Aguapanela or Agua de Panela tanslates to “panela water” and is a traditional and popular Colombian drink. It can be served hot or cold. Aguapanela is used as a base for coffee, hot chocolate and mixed with lime juice as medicine for the flu 🙂 Cold Aguapanela with lime juice is great for hot summer days.
Panela is a product that is made with sugarcane, it is sweet and brown, is sold in blocks or grated and the flavor is similar to that of brown sugar. Panela is also popular in other countries and is known by many different names. In Central America it is known as papelón, in Mexico as piloncillo, and in Ecuador, Perú and Bolivia as chancaca.
To buy panela click here
Ingredients
5 cups water,or to your taste
2 cups or 16 oz, panela grated or in chunks
Directions
Place the water and panela in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
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Sarah Naveen says
I used to have this when i was a kid, during mother marys feast in church in India….
Memories!!!!looks so yummy!!!
I think Kerala food have a lot in common with ur food…
Rajnish Tyagi says
I grew up in Delhi. As a child, me and my siblings use to enjoy this drink with lemon. In a way it becomes hot Shikanji.
girlichef says
Piloncillo is one of my favorite sugar-y type things to use. I’ve never tried it like this. But sugar-water has to be good…it’s on my to-try list 🙂
Carla says
I bet that would be fabulous with your beautiful Pastle Gloria’s.
Rachana says
In India we get a similar product and is called gud or jaggery! The drink looks yummm!!!!!
Jeannie says
We do have something similar in Malaysia…it’s called gula melaka here:)
Lyndsey says
I have seen the panela in our store and I always wanted to try it, but wasn’t sure what to do with it. So I’m thrilled that you posted this. I’ll have to buy some tomorrow. Maybe when I see something unfamiliar to me, next time I’ll just ask you what to do with it 😀
zerrin says
I used to see panela at fields in the village as a child, but never seen it since then. The drinks sounds like a great refreshing beverage for summer days.
Sandra G. says
Me recuerda el agua de azucar que tomaba cuando chiquita!
Kim says
I bet the panela smells wonderful! This has got to be one tasty drink.
Joy says
I want to try it!
Juliana says
I never had sugar cane this way…it really sounds interesting 🙂
Erica says
Thank you guys for the comments!
rebecca subbiah says
looks great I think we had this in Costa Rica we even ground the sugar cane!
Devon says
This sounds so tasty as a base for coffee.
5 Star Foodie says
I have the piloncillo right now and would love to try to make this drink, very neat!
Ivy says
Thanks for introducing us to this product. I can imagine it must taste great in desserts.
grace says
i’ll tell ya, erica, you’re just full of useful and new info! thanks for the education and for introducing me to panela and this drink. 🙂
Diana@Spain in Iowa says
Erica, this sounds so sweet and yummy! I’ll have to give this a try 😀
norma says
We also had this when we were kids in Venezuela.
Francijoe says
We just had this for lunch yesterday… Do you have one where you can make juice from the sugar cane it self. In my home town the have a sugar cane field. I love to make this for my family….:)
girlichef says
Erica! Funny how things happen…last night I was in the kitchen talking to my husband about piloncillo. He told me about this drink his mom used to make with water and piloncillo…hmmmm. I told him how I’d just read about the same drink from a gal in Columbia!! Such a small world…I’ll be making this soon =) Thanks Erica!
Oysterculture says
Oh now you are speaking to me, a sugar cane drink – sounds so yummy. Dare I share this with the nieces and nephews? Will their parents thank me?
Erica says
Oysterculture-Yes!
Christine @ Fresh Local and Best says
I used to drink this, and love it.
Erica says
Thank you guys!
tasteofbeirut says
how interesting! I did not know it was made into a drink like this! must try!
Soma says
I desperately miss the fresh squeezed sugar cane juice from back home in India. it is a popular street food esp. during the summer months and is served with lime (as u mentioned) and salt and sugar.
What you call Panella, we call Gur/jaggery and use it a lot for indian desserts, even to make rice pudding. love the flavor it imparts and cannot be substituted with anything else in the world.
Regina B says
I do this and add fresh lemon juice for a coulmbian lemonade. My favorite comlubian cafe let me in on the secret to thier awsome lemonade. Muy bueno!!
Esther W says
Friends who had an Argentinian restaurant used to feed me this this when pregnant 30 years ago. It was so delicious, warmed up with a hint of cinnamon. Enjoy!
Sonia says
Mi grandma use to make this but instead of water she used milk, soooo delicious, this replace your coffee in the morning
Oscar says
Great drink. When my mom made the hot version, she would usually add cheese but omitting the lemon (and vice versa), and on the cold versions she always added lemon.
Btw, for those of you looking for fresh sugar cane juice, you can try looking for places that serve “Guarapo”. I lived in Miami before (I live in Houston, TX now), so the only places that I knew of that served guarapo were cuban and colombian, so I’ve really no idea what other types of businesses might serve it.
Tania says
My husband is Colombian, and when I had morning sickness during my pregnancies, he would make me agua panela con limon, and it worked like a charm. I used to fill my water bottles with it and take it to work, sipping from it when I got nauseated. I just recommended it to a pregnant friend, and it worked for her, too. We also drink it in the summer, always iced. I’ve described it to Americans as “brown sugar lemonade.”
I’ve visited Peru many times (my father is Peruvian), and I never saw it there, so it was interesting to learn that it is available there, too. I live in Miami now, and you can get guarapo all over the place, but it’s different from agua panela. I recently saw a bottled version of agua panela (looked like a Snapple at first). Wonder if it will take off.
Dougy EL Paisa says
Just drank aguapanela at work, that I made this moring. Can not wait not have more later in the day.
Eli says
Yummy!! Just a tip, in Chile it’s called chancaca, too 🙂
Cheryl says
I just found your blog, and am anticipating many happy memories and remembrances reading it! 🙂
Had to run and make myself a mug of agua de panela as soon as I saw this post! 🙂 I found out by experimenting that I can make agua de panela with the Sucanat I always have on hand (just evaporated cane juice I buy @ my local health food store). Piloncillo around here is made with corn syrup. 🙁
Funny story: the first time I ever had this drink, we were at a retreat outside Bogotá. They served us pitcher after pitcher of agua de panela and te de manzanilla but gave us “sandwiches” for breakfast . . . because they’d heard that Americans liked sandwiches! lol Personally, I would have MUCH preferred a good Chocolate Santafereño!
Patty says
Hello Erica, I love your blog! You have so many wonderful recipes. I found this one of aguapanela that I was looking for, I used to enjoy this when I was little, I’ll make it now for my daughters.
Have you ever made aplanchados? If you have, could you please post the recipe?
Tkx!!
Emily Renate says
Hey Erica- When I was at my husband’s family home in colombia we had the aguapanela served with a large chunk of cheese. I am wondering if you know what kind of cheese I could use for that? I found colombian sugarcane and would like to surprise him…
Erica says
Queso blanco or mozzarela cheese.
Emily Renate says
Thank you so much! I’m going to try queso blanco.
dee says
My mom used to add milk and pack it for snack at school.
Anonymous says
My grandmother used to make me this every time I would come over. I miss her and now I make it to feel her close again. Her lengua recipe was phenomenal.
Alia says
Hola! My Mom would make Agua Panela when j was sick but being Colombians in St. Louis a long time ago, she used brown sugar and lemon! It always hit the spot! Now that I live in the Middle East I can find jaggerty but never tried it. I still use brown sugar and lemon for my kids! Now, they are long gone to universities! Gracias!
Tracey Shiley says
I thought the aguapanela I drank in Manizales many years ago also had cocoa powder in it. Is that another way it isn’t prepared as well?
Jane Christensen says
oh my goodness …… we used to have frothy hot chocolate made with panela and a battatilla (not sure how to spell) and arepa every morning for breakfast when we lived in Amaga Colombia for over 3 years and that was many, many years ago. I can still close my eyes and taste the deliciousness of it all. Will have to find out where I can buy panela here in Canada and then look for the pot and battatilla so I can enjoy it all again.
daniel says
hollywood and crenshaw farmers market in los angeles, california sells it fresh or mixed
Cossette says
My hubby is Columbian and I’m from Wisconsin… Clearly was confused about the idea of sugar water and cheese! His mom came over and made me agua panella after our first was born, to help with breastfeeding. I’ve slowly come to enjoy it, now! And I had the flu yesterday and I couldn’t move. My husband brought me a big cup of hot aqua panella with lime. (We found the panella at our Publix in the Hispanic asleep!) I ended up sweating like crazy through the night but woke up feeling a million times better! Still sick, but I feel human again 🙂