Panela Water with Cheese (Aguapanela con Queso)
Raw cane sugar melted slowly into hot water until it turns into a fragrant amber syrup, then poured over cubes of fresh cheese that soften into warm, salty-sweet bites. A beloved Andean comfort drink, perfect for cold mornings.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Chop the panela
Break the block into small chunks with a sturdy knife, or grate it on a box grater. The smaller the pieces, the faster and more evenly it will melt into the water.
- 300 g
✅ Done when: the panela is in small, roughly even pieces
Boil the water
Bring the water to a rolling boil in a medium pot. Drop in the cinnamon stick now if you are using it, so its flavor has time to infuse.
- 1 litre water
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
✅ Done when: the water is boiling steadily
Melt the panela
Lower the heat to medium, add the chopped , and stir with a wooden spoon until it dissolves completely. Simmer gently for 5 minutes so the flavor deepens.
- 300 g (from step 1)
✅ Done when: the liquid is smooth, with no lumps, and a warm amber color
Strain and season
Pour the hot water through a fine sieve into a clean pot or jug to catch any bits of sediment from the . Stir in the pinch of salt, which rounds out the sweetness.
- 1 cinnamon stick (to remove)
- 1 pinch salt
✅ Done when: the liquid runs clear and amber, with no solid bits
Add the cheese
Divide the cheese cubes among four mugs or small bowls, then pour the hot water over them. Let them sit for a minute or two so the cheese softens.
- 200 g fresh cheese
✅ Done when: the cheese edges look soft and glossy but the cubes still hold their shape
Serve
Serve right away while still steaming, with a small spoon so everyone can scoop up the warm, softened cheese from the bottom of the mug.
Chop the panela
Break the block into small chunks with a sturdy knife, or grate it on a box grater. The smaller the pieces, the faster and more evenly it will melt into the water.
- 300 g
✅ Done when: the panela is in small, roughly even pieces
Boil the water
Bring the water to a rolling boil in a medium pot. Drop in the cinnamon stick now if you are using it, so its flavor has time to infuse.
- 1 litre water
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
✅ Done when: the water is boiling steadily
Melt the panela
Lower the heat to medium, add the chopped , and stir with a wooden spoon until it dissolves completely. Simmer gently for 5 minutes so the flavor deepens.
- 300 g (from step 1)
✅ Done when: the liquid is smooth, with no lumps, and a warm amber color
Strain and season
Pour the hot water through a fine sieve into a clean pot or jug to catch any bits of sediment from the . Stir in the pinch of salt, which rounds out the sweetness.
- 1 cinnamon stick (to remove)
- 1 pinch salt
✅ Done when: the liquid runs clear and amber, with no solid bits
Add the cheese
Divide the cheese cubes among four mugs or small bowls, then pour the hot water over them. Let them sit for a minute or two so the cheese softens.
- 200 g fresh cheese
✅ Done when: the cheese edges look soft and glossy but the cubes still hold their shape
Serve
Serve right away while still steaming, with a small spoon so everyone can scoop up the warm, softened cheese from the bottom of the mug.
The Story Behind the Dish
Panela, the solid block of unrefined cane sugar, has been made in Colombia's Andean trapiches (sugar mills) since colonial times, when sugarcane brought by the Spanish was adapted to the cool mountain valleys. Boiling panela in water became the simplest, most comforting drink of the region, drunk hot in the chilly mornings and evenings of towns high in the mountains.
Adding chunks of fresh local cheese turned the drink into something closer to a meal, a warming combination still served in kitchens, markets and roadside stops across the Colombian Andes.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is the everyday comfort drink of cold Andean towns, as familiar as coffee, and often the first thing given to children, workers and anyone needing warmth and quick energy.
💡 Fun Fact
Colombia is one of the world's leading panela producers, and aguapanela is traditionally offered to people feeling unwell, since it is believed to be gentle, warming and restorative.
Andean highlands of Colombia (Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Santander)
5.54°N, -73.37°W
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