Melado de panela is a thick syrup that is popular in Colombia. It is used with some of our traditional desserts and it is made with panela (raw sugar cane).
What is Panela?
It is a product that is made with sugarcane, it is sweet and brown, it is sold in blocks or grated and the flavor is similar to brown sugar. However, panela has a lot of vitamins and minerals and is supposed to be good for you.
This ingredient is also popular in other countries and is known by many different names. In Central America it is known as (papelón), Mexico (Piloncillo), Ecuador, Perú and Bolivia (chancaca).
In Colombian it is used in a drink called “agua de panela”, which literally means “panela water”. It is also used to sweeten coffee, chocolate, melado and to make desserts.
Agua de panela with lime is used by a lot of grandmothers in Colombia to help with flu symptoms.
What is Melado?
Also known as "melao de panela" is a traditional Colombian tick and rich syrup made with sugarcane, water and spices. Some cooks and lime or orange peel to their recipe.
This sweet sauce is used to served with cheese, yuca balls, ripe plantain or sometimes to cook pork or beef.
Ingredients You'll Need
The printable recipe card with exact amounts and cooking directions is below.
Panela: Sugarcane is sold online or at your local market. You can replace it with brown sugar.
Water: To cook the panela.
Spices: Cinnamon sticks and ground cloves for flavor.
How to make Melado de Panela?
- Place all the ingredients in a small pot and cook over medium-low heat until the panela is dissolve completely and has syrup consistency.
- Place in a serving dish and let it cool.
Recipes to Use Melado
Queso con Melado (Cheese with Syrup)
Boilitas de Yuca con Melado (Yuca Balls with Syrup)
Melado de Panela (Colombian Sugarcane Syrup) Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup 8oz grated panela or brown sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Pinch ground cloves
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a small pot and cook over medium-low heat until the panela is dissolve completely and has syrup consistency.
- Place in a serving dish and let it cool.
ximena
Hola Erika
Me encantaria poder hacer la cuajada tal cual y como la que se usa para el famoso postre “Cuajasa con Melao”
Mil gracias desde ya!!’
Alice
Melado de cana (syrup) and Rapadura (panela) are how we name they, here in Brazil. They are rich in iron! Thanks for your post.
Amelia
In Costa Rica they call this Tapa.
Jennifer
I have panela so want to try it. Could I use it instead of caramel to cover the bottom of the pan when making flan?
Erica Dinho
Hi Jennifer, I don't know, but you can try it and let me know 🙂
Flavia Silveira
In Brazil Panela is called "Rapadura"
Isa
Hola Erica!
La panela se conoce en Cuba como raspadura y tambien se usa para endulzar el cafe y los panes o panetelas (cakes) con sus mieles. Por su sabor sumamente dulce y concentrado, al punto de empalago, es que tenemos la frase (algo peyorativa) "ser mas dulce que la raspadura" para referirnos a las personas que se sobran en zalamerias o que muestran cariño muy ficticiamente. La raspadura tambien se usa para hacer barritas de mani. Se derrite a fuego lento y se mezcla con mani ya tostado y salado (en grano o molido depende del gusto), se deja enfriar y cuando endurece se corta en forma de barra o la pones en el molde que quieras.
lc
How do you keep it from not hardning
MC
I believe what most people have posted are other names for Panela. I was just telling a friend about this today. 🙂
Lisa
Please help Im making this now...smells and tastes great but its not thickening!
Melissa
I love panela. My friend, whose family is from Colombia, brought me some panela as a treat when we all went to Quebec City this summer. They were having a heat wave, and I got very dehydrated. I cracked the panela and ate some chunks and immediately felt better.
Felisha
I made this tonight to go in my recipe for "arepa de choclo" but it never turned into a syrup. It was still had a watery consistency...any idea what I did wrong? It still tasted delicious and I still used it 🙂
Erica
Felisha- You have to cook it until syrup consistency! Maybe, you did not cook it long enough.
Diana
Erica, I thought I had found panela at the store, darn! I bought something similar, i think, it's called Piloncillo. I'm excited to use it but will have to write down panela next time. I really want to try this 😀
Erica
Thank you all for visiting!
Diana@Spain in Iowa
Very interesting Erica. I'm going to have to look for this at my Latin grocery store.