Panela cane sugar, organic, unrefined, 1kg

Panela has a warm, fruity caramel sweetness with subtle notes of malt and honey. Compared to refined sugar, its sweetness is more rounded and significantly more aromatic. Depending on how it is used, it develops hints of toffee, dried fruit and light caramel – ideal for those who want to use sugar not only to sweeten but also to refine their dishes.

• Panela: genuine unrefined sugar

From coarse, irregular grains to fine dust. That's panela. It does not crystallise, as it naturally breaks down into this fine granulate after cooking.

• (Raw) cane sugar: the name can be misleading

Cane sugar, often touted as raw cane sugar, is by no means raw, but refined. This is clearly evident from the fact that the sugar crystals are the same as those found in white sugar. It comes from the sugar cane plant, but contains hardly any of its nutrients.

• Whitewashed - all the good stuff is gone

After mechanical and chemical refining, white cane sugar loses not only its natural colour but also all the nutrients of the sugar cane plant.

Panela is versatile and can be used just like conventional sugar – but with significantly more flavour:

• For sweetening coffee, tea or cocoa
• When baking cakes, biscuits and bread
• For desserts, porridge and muesli
• For caramelising or for sauces and glazes

Thanks to its fine granulation, Panela dissolves well and is also suitable for decorating.

The sugar cane grows in the Huila department in south-western Colombia. There, the Asoopromac cooperative cultivates around 40 hectares of land organically. Harvesting takes place all year round. Immediately after cutting, the sugar cane is processed in the cooperative's own mill: it is pressed, the juice is filtered and then gently thickened in several stages. In the final phase, the mass is boiled down with constant stirring until it crystallises into a golden yellow colour. After drying, the panela is granulated. The fibrous residues from the sugar cane are used as fuel for the cooking process, while other by-products are used as fertiliser or animal feed – an almost closed cycle. The finished panela sugar is then sent to our long-standing partner Fruandes in Ibagué, where it is checked, sieved and packaged. ​

About Fruandes: Pakka is a long-standing partner of Fruandes – Frutos de los Andes – a socially committed Colombian producer of organic dried fruit based in Ibagué, west of Bogotá. The company's goal is to produce high-quality, healthy organic products locally and to share the added value fairly between producers, processors and consumers. In recent years, with Pakka's help, Fruandes has been able to build a new processing plant, modernise its packaging line and expand its warehouse. This has enabled the company to grow and create valuable jobs in a rural region. 

The organic panela sugar is produced entirely in Colombia – directly in the country of origin of the raw materials. Pakka deliberately focuses on direct trade and avoids intermediaries. This strengthens the entire value chain locally. Not only does this ensure the best product quality, it also creates fair jobs in structurally weak regions of Colombia and contributes to sustainable economic development. ​

By lorry to the port in Colombia – By ship to Hamburg – By lorry to Switzerland

For every product sold, 5 pence goes to the Pakka Foundation to support projects in the countries of origin. More information: www.pakkafoundation.org

Store in a cool, dry place. Close opened packages tightly and protect from moisture and light.