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Aguapanela
Hot panela and lime drink
Hot Colombian panela drink with lime, served with cheese
Aguapanela is simply panela (unrefined cane sugar) dissolved in water, yet it is one of Colombia's most loved drinks: drunk hot at breakfast in Bogotá and the Andes with a slice of fresh cheese dropped in to melt, given to children with a cold, and served iced with lime in the hot lowlands. This page is the hot version; the cold, lime-heavy cousin is Venezuela's papelón con limón. Chef's tip: simmer the panela gently until it dissolves completely and the drink smells of caramel; rushing it leaves sugary lumps at the bottom.
- Total time
- 12 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 5 ½ oz panela or dark muscovado sugarchopped
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
- 3 cloves (optional)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 4 ¼ cups water, 5 ½ oz panela or dark muscovado sugar and 1 cinnamon stick and 3 cloves if using in a saucepan over a medium heat.
1 minStep 2: Simmer gently, stirring now and then, until the panela has completely dissolved and the drink is a clear golden brown and smells of caramel, 8–10 minutes. Don't boil hard or it turns syrupy.
9 minStep 3: Take off the heat, remove the spices and stir in 2 tbsp lime juice. A common mistake is adding the lime while boiling, which turns it bitter.
Step 4: Pour into mugs and drink hot. In Bogotá many people drop a slice of fresh white cheese into the mug to soften and eat it with a spoon (the drink is then vegetarian rather than vegan).
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does aguapanela take?
- About 12 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of panela or dark muscovado sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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