caña

Caña is a Spanish term with several related meanings across botany, everyday objects, and gastronomy. It most commonly denotes a cane or reed, the long, hollow stalks of grasses such as bamboo or sugarcane, used as building material, for weaving baskets, or as a walking stick. The term also refers to sugarcane itself, the tropical grass Saccharum spp., and, by extension, the sugar derived from it.

Sugarcane (caña de azúcar) is a tall perennial grass native to tropical Asia that is now cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. It grows to several meters in height, tolerates heat and plenty of water, and is typically propagated by stem cuttings. Harvest is often by ratoon cropping, with fields yielding successive crops. Primary products include white sugar, molasses, and ethanol; major byproducts include bagasse used for energy.

In everyday use, caña appears in many phrases: a fishing rod is called una caña de pescar; a walking cane is simply una caña; a small beer served in a bar is called una caña, typically around 200 milliliters. The term is common in Spain and many Latin American countries, with regional variations in meaning.

Etymology and related terms: caña derives from Latin canna, meaning reed or cane. The word forms part of many compound terms in Spanish such as caña de azúcar (sugarcane), caña de pescar (fishing rod), or caña de bambú (bamboo cane).