La Playa Panama - Volume 17, June 2014 | Page 5

P. 5 - LA PLAYA JUNE / JUNIO 2014 Panama Hat WWW.PLAYACOMMUNITY.COM toquilla is ready to be selected and woven into straw hats. (Continued from P.4) Panama hats are made from a special straw, called ‘toquilla’, that is native to Ecuador. Once harvested, the soft interior leaves are separated from the brittle outer parts of the plant. The sheaves are boiled in water, and then the palm ribbons are separated and dried. Once dry, the The two main processes in the creat