PANELA
Panela is unrefined cane sugar from Colombia. Panela has been traditionally handmade for centuries by dehydrating raw sugarcane juice over low heat. Because it's made in such a simple way, it retains the flavourful and nutrient-rich molasses from sugarcane. The molasses in panela gives it its distinct flavour as well as some naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Our panela comes from Asoseynekun, an association of indigenous Arhuaco families in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia.
Flavour: lightly sweet molasses taste and warm, caramel undertones
Harvest: DEC 2023
Best Before End: DEC 2025
Pre-order collections of 5 and 25 KG sacks:
Plymouth, etd end July
Pre-orders delivered by post or available
to collect from our office: etd end July
PRODUCER: Asoseynekun, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
SAILING CARGO VESSEL: Ide Min
LOADING PORT: Santa Marta. Colombia - May 2024
DELIVERY PORT: Plymouth, UK - June / July 2024
NAUTICAL MILES: over 4,300 nm
Born in the heart of the indigenous community of Jewrwa, the Asociación de Productores Indígenas Seynekun (Asoseynekun) is a legally recognized association of Arhuaco indigenous producer families, known for their traditional farming practices that conserve the environment. The Association supports Pueblo Bello, a municipality in the northern part of the Cesar department in Colombia, with its agricultural sector. Asoseynekun began to support the production of coffee and cocoa, but after a community analysis, they saw the potential for cultivating sugar cane. The association has been certified organic since 2008 and Fair Trade since 2009. Its products are environment-friendly, contribute to biodiversity preservation, and promote the socio-cultural development of indigenous communities.
The videos below tell the story of Asoseynekun and show how the panela is made.
what is panela?
Panela has been traditionally handmade for centuries by dehydrating raw sugarcane juice over low heat. Because it is made so simply, it retains the sugarcane’s flavorful and nutrient-rich molasses. The molasses in panela gives it its distinct flavour, naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
An innovative pulverizing technique is used to further dehydrate panela to a crushed powder, making it easier to use in coffee, baking and cooking, while still being artisanally made and preserving all the benefits found in traditional panela bricks.
pre-order and save
To make our prices more accessible, we invite you to pre-order and stock up on panela for the season.
By purchasing in advance we guarantee the farmer and the ship a successful voyage. By collecting from the ship, we reduce the need and cost of onward distribution and storage, and by buying larger amounts to last the season, we collectively economise on the volume of packaging. We pass the financial savings of this on to you and it allows us all to shift toward a way of shopping that is in line with the farmers’ and the ship’s seasonal schedules.
collect from the ship
We expect the arrival of the Ide Min to Plymouth toward the end of June. If you have ordered 5 or 25 KG sacks of panela, we invite you to join us for unloading and to meet the ship and crew after their epic transatlantic voyage. Just let us know when you pre-order and we will be in touch with exact collection details closer to the time.
If, for any reason, you cannot make it to the ship we will deliver your panela along with any other items ordered by post (UK national delivery only).
Interested in regular deliveries of sail-shipped panela for your business? Join our sail cargo movement and get in touch, contact details below.
