Businessweek
The Rich, Sweet Hangover Helper You Need Right Now
Piloncillo brings a thick, molasses-style kick to just about any liquid beverage—especially this cinnamon-spiked coffee.
You know piloncillo when you see it from its signature cone shape.
Naila Ruechel for Bloomberg Businessweek
Sugar is not seasonal. Like flour or cooking oil, it stands ready to be used any time of year. One variety, however, is especially well-suited to cold weather: piloncillo. Also known as panela, it’s made from sugar cane syrup reduced to create a sticky, molasses-rich sweetener that’s darker and has a funkier flavor than American brown sugar.
“Piloncillo is rich,” says Ivy Mix, co-owner of Leyenda, a Latin American bar in Brooklyn, N.Y. “Unlike the granulated sugar people usually use, it brings flavor with it.”