Panela is a natural product obtained from unrefined sugarcane juice.

For centuries, panela was the main source of sugar for rural communities. Its manufacture, carried out in small mills called trapiches, often brought together families and neighbours. Much more than a simple foodstuff, panela also played an economic and social role. In some regions, it was used as a currency of exchange, and as an energy reserve for workers in the fields and mines.

In Colombia, panela has acquired a special symbolic value. It is still consumed by the majority of households, for example in the form of aguapanela a hot or cold drink made by dissolving panela in water, sometimes with lemon juice. Some regions, such as Santander, Boyacá and Cundinamarca, have become major production centers, where its cultivation and processing are deeply rooted in peasant traditions.

Over time, panela production has been partly modernized. However, it remains closely linked to artisan skills and community life. Today, it is recognized as a heritage food, defended by peasant movements and valued within fair trade circuits. Panela is therefore not just a natural sweetener: it also embodies the history of a product that links agriculture, culture and identity in Latin America.