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Glite Dictionary
piloncillo

piloncillo

9.6
A cone-shaped block of brown sugar that people use to sweeten food and drink
  • noun
  • /ˌpɪlɒnˈsiːjoʊ/
  • US
translation icon : piloncillo
  • When making mole, the chef uses piloncillo for its rich flavor and caramel notes.
  • piloncillo sugar

Examples

  • The recipe calls for two piloncillos of sugar.

  • The recipe calls for a piece of piloncillo to give the sauce a rich, caramel flavor.

  • She bought a cone of piloncillo at the market to use in her traditional Mexican desserts.

  • To sweeten the coffee, he shaved some piloncillo into the pot and let it melt.

  • I bought some piloncillo for my recipe.

  • To sweeten the coffee, she added a piece of piloncillo along with a dash of cinnamon.

  • For a traditional Mexican dish, dissolve two cones of piloncillo in boiling water to create a syrup.

Synonyms

cane sugar
vspiloncillo
1 1.3

Sweetener made from the tall plant sugarcane used to sweeten food and drinks

is a specific unrefined cone form used in Mexican cooking rather than general sugar
turbinado
vspiloncillo
1 7.9

A brown sugar with large crystals and a light molasses taste

is a single unrefined cone used as a sweetener, not loose crystals
panela
vspiloncillo
8.1

A solid block of cane sugar that is not refined, used to sweeten food and drinks

is the Mexican cone-shaped form rather than a loaf

Surface Forms

piloncillo singular
piloncillos plural

Etymology

Piloncillo comes from Spanish pilón and the small ending -cillo, where pilón means 'pillar' or 'cone' and -cillo means 'small'. So piloncillo is a 'small pillar' — a cone-shaped block of raw cane sugar, which helps you remember its shape and why it is used as a sweetener.