Piloncillo

The sugar cane planted by the Spanish in the New World gave rise to several distinctive foods found in Mexico. One of these is our more flavorful equivalent of American brown sugar—the hard cones of unrefined sugar sold as piloncillo or panela. You can sometimes find these in Latin American markets in large flat cakes or small cones. To use, grate the hard sugar on the fine side of the grater, pulverize it in a food processor, or soften a small amount at a time in water. Dark brown sugar is the closest U.S. substitute.