After an early pancake breakfast this morning, we hopped into a van to learn about la molienda, or more specifically the traditional process of grinding sugar cane in order to harvest its juice for sugar syrup production. We visited a local community that has been doing this process for many decades. First, we were shown how the sugar cane itself is harvested, and we even got an opportunity to swing the machete ourselves (don’t worry, we were very careful!) Then, we took our freshly harvested canes back to the trapiche, a machine designed to squeeze the juice out of the tough cane. Usually, the trapiche is rotated by horsepower (however as you will see we had some two-legged volunteers as well.) We had an opportunity to taste the freshly squeezed juice and mixed it with some newly harvested lemons and ice to create a very refreshing drink. While we were at lunch, the juice was being boiled in a down earth-covered oven to create a molasses-like syrup (which was also delicious). After a quick trip to buy some comfort food for everyone, we headed back to our hotel to get a restful night of sleep for our next busy day!
-Noah and Mina đ
Click on La Molienda to see photos of the day
Select grinding the canes to see a short video of how fluid is extracted from sugar cane.
Select boiling and skimming the cane juice to see a short clip.