Panama Hats Intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO A toquilla straw hat is woven with the unique fibers from a peculiar palm that grows in the Ecuadorian coastline. The weavers cultivate the toquillales and collect the stems in order to then separate the fiber from the green bark, boiling thus one to eliminate chlorophyll and drying it later with charcoal and sulphur to whiten it. With this raw material, the weavers start the weaving of the crown and brim of the hat. The weavers make extra-thin hats that require the existence of specific climate conditions and and an exact number of stitches in each row of the weave. Finally the hat is washed and whitened before ironing and heating it up. The weave of a hat can last from one day to eight months, depending in its quality and thinness.