Brownsugarexporter.com - What’s the difference between the
various types of brown sugar (light, dark, Demerara, turbinado, and muscovado)?
All brown
sugars are sugar crystals that contain molasses, a dark syrup that’s a
by-product of sugar refining, says Melanie Miller, vice president of public
relations for the Sugar Association. The differences between various brown
sugars lie, primarily, in how much molasses each contains.
Typically,
brown sugar is made from sugarcane, rather than from beets (which are sometimes
used to make white sugar). The process works like this: The sweet cane juice is
extracted, then boiled until all the water evaporates, leaving molasses-rich
crystals behind.
Demerara
sugar, popular in Britain, and turbinado sugar—both of which are often referred
to as “raw sugar” in the United States—are very similar to one another in color
and texture. To make them, the molasses-rich crystals are spun in a centrifuge
to dry them, as well as to remove excess plant material, leaving a coarse
granule that’s lighter brown or tan in color. Edouard Rollet, cofounder of
Alter Eco, a fair-trade food imports company that sells sugars, describes
Demerara as having a mild molasses flavor. Turbinado, he says, contains hints
of honey. Both Demerara and turbinado are good for sweetening coffee and tea.
Muscovado
sugar (a.k.a. Barbados sugar), from Britain, is the darkest of them all and
made by allowing the sugar crystals to dry under low heat, sometimes in the
sun. (Muscovado doesn’t get spun in a centrifuge.) This leaves more plant
material in the sugar, resulting in a very strong molasses taste and a sticky
consistency. The flavor is overpowering for use in coffee but is sometimes
called for in gingersnap recipes.
Sugars
labeled simply “light brown” or “dark brown” are made by adding molasses back
into refined (white) sugar. To make white sugar, the raw sugar crystals are
dissolved in hot water until they form a syrup, which is then filtered to
remove excess plant material from the natural sucrose. The syrup is boiled,
evaporated once again to crystals, then spun dry in a centrifuge. Although
there are no regulations dictating how much molasses must be added to the
refined sugar to make light or dark brown sugar, most producers put about 3
percent molasses in light and 6 percent molasses in dark.
It may seem
strange that molasses is removed from sugar only to be put back in, but brown
sugar is made this way, says Miller, for consistency. Sugar producers can
ensure a uniform product batch after batch, because they’re regulating the
exact amount of molasses that goes in. Some in the natural foods industry, like
Rollet, argue that the refining process strips the sugar of minerals. But the
health benefits of brown sugar over white remain unproven. (BD)