No one can completely give up sweets. We love candies and chocolate, delicious pastries and jam. In exchange for the opportunity to enjoy all this, we are ready to go on diets, count calories and go to the gym. Regular refined sugar has long been declared the white death, but there is also Alternative option - cane sugar with a minimum degree of purification. Let's try to figure out the benefits and harms of brown sweets.
Along with white sugar, brown sugar also appeared on store shelves. He is much more expensive than his “sweet brother”, although appearance he is not particularly attractive, or rather, unusual. This product has a pleasant fruity smell and is different from regular sugar a number of characteristics.
White refined sugar can be made from either sugar cane or sugar beets. After appropriate processing, it is almost impossible to distinguish one from the other. Beet sugar is sold exclusively in refined form. Without this, the product has bad smell and taste.
The first sugar factory in Russia appeared under Peter I. Imported raw cane sugar was used in production.
Let's try to compare these products:
- In terms of calorie content, cane sugar is slightly inferior to white sugar, by only 10 kilocalories. For white sugar this figure corresponds to 387 kcal, for brown - 377 kcal.
- The sucrose content in cane sugar is 96.21 g, and in white sugar - 99.9 g. The difference is also insignificant.
- Due to less thorough processing, brown unrefined sugar is rich in B vitamins. At the same time, white sugar only contains vitamin B2, and then in small quantities.
- Brown sugar is rich in potassium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium and zinc. White sugar contains only calcium, potassium and iron in minute doses.
In addition to the usual loose and lump sugar, there is also a liquid form The following conclusions can be drawn: consuming excess amounts of any type of sugar has a negative effect on the condition of the heart, blood vessels and fat metabolism. At the same time, sugar containing molasses (treacle) is rich in vitamins and minerals beneficial to the body.
Composition and calorie content of the product: comparison table
| Basic indicators | White sugar | Cane sugar |
| Calorie content (kcal) | 387 | 377 |
| Sucrose content (g) | 99,91 | 96,21 |
| Microelements (mg): | ||
| Calcium | 1 | 85 |
| Iron | 0,01 | 1,91 |
| Potassium | 2 | 346 |
| Magnesium | – | 29 |
| Phosphorus | – | 22 |
| Sodium | – | 39 |
| Zinc | – | 0,18 |
| Vitamins (mg): | ||
| B1 | – | 0,008 |
| B2 | 0,019 | 0,007 |
| B3 | – | 0,082 |
| B6 | – | 0,026 |
| B9 | – | 0,0011 |
It will not be possible to reduce the calorie content of your diet by replacing regular sugar with cane sugar. At the same time, due to the content in it useful microelements it can become an alternative to honey for those who are prone to allergic reactions.
Production technology and types
Brown sugar is a crystalline substance that is obtained from cane juice by boiling it. This is a sweet-tasting natural product, the color saturation of which depends on the molasses content in it. The more it is, the darker the sugar. Due to its properties and taste, it is widely used in cooking. various dishes from meat marinades to baked goods.
There are three types of brown sugar:
- crude;
- partially peeled;
- refined.
Unrefined sugar is raw, meaning it is not refined at all. Partially refined sugar contains natural molasses; artificial molasses is added to refined molasses. Raw sugar is healthier. It is distinguished by the presence of a molasses taste. On taste qualities The product is also affected by the place where the reed grows. Exporters of brown sugar are many countries with tropical and subtropical climates.
The taste characteristics and appearance of sugar containing molasses will depend on the variety. The most popular varieties and their characteristics are given below.
Brief characteristics of the most popular varieties
| Variety | Color | Main characteristics | Appearance |
| Demarara | golden brown | light fruity taste | large crystals |
| Muscovado | from light golden to dark brown depending on the percentage of molasses | strong caramel smell, increased stickiness; Light-colored sugar tastes like butterscotch. | small crystals |
| Cassonade | golden | stays crumbly for a long time | small crystals |
| Turbinado | from delicate golden to rich brown | partially refined raw sugar with a light fruity taste | crystals are large, crumbly with a dry surface |
| Barbados black (molasses soft) | dark brown | strong caramel aroma | wet consistency (looks slightly melted) |
Harm of cane sugar and contraindications
At excessive consumption Cane sugar can cause metabolic disorders and decreased immunity. Its irregular use will also have a negative impact on the functioning of the circulatory system.
Consuming sugar without restrictions can cause:
- atherosclerosis;
- diabetes mellitus;
- insomnia;
- anemia;
- obesity;
- oncological diseases.
What is the difference between a useful product and a fake, how to check
The main thing you need to pay attention to when choosing cane sugar- manufacturer country. Sugar must be brought from where sugar cane is grown. Particular attention should be paid to the tightness of the packaging, since this product is very hygroscopic.
Brazil is considered the leader in sugar production. More than 700,000 tons of product are produced here per year! It is better to buy brown sugar in large stores. If desired, you can always request a certificate of conformity from the seller. That, in fact, is all that can be done before purchasing.
If the desire to detect a fake has not disappeared, then conducting an experiment to identify it should be approached wisely:
- It is a mistake to believe that a pronounced taste and smell are a sign of a fake. Have more dark varieties the presence of molasses is higher, namely its content in sugar affects the taste and color intensity.
- When the product dissolves, the water will take on a hint of sugar. The property of molasses is that it envelops sugar crystals, therefore, it will dissolve a little earlier. The conclusion that you bought a fake may be wrong.
- It will not be possible to detect a counterfeit using iodine, since brown sugar is a monosaccharide that can be colored with iodine. Blue colour impossible in principle. The manifestation of such a reaction is possible when conducting an experiment with polysaccharides.
It would be much more correct to submit the purchased product to a certified laboratory for analysis. It should be taken into account that no one will conduct research for free.
What does the manufacturer do to pass off regular sugar as brown (video experiment)
How to store to preserve its benefits
Cane sugar has a lot of nuances of taste and aroma. Thanks to this, sugar containing molasses is highly valued among cooks and coffee lovers. When storing this product, do not forget about its features, and often the instructions are indicated directly on the packaging.
At high humidity sugar can harden without changing its nutritional value. There are several ways in which you can return this product to its original characteristics:
- Using a microwave. 30 seconds is enough to return the product to its friability.
- Place the hardened sugar in a bowl and cover with a damp towel for 15–20 minutes.
- Place the sugar in an airtight container along with a few cloves. fresh apple for 2–3 days.
Consumption of any type of sugar should not be excessive. Even if you are a gourmet who appreciates all the benefits of brown sugar, you should remember this. This product can be partially replaced with honey, natural juices, fruits and dried fruits with high content fructose. But you shouldn’t completely give up eating sugar; after all, it is the main food for the brain.
Retail trade offers two types of products to “sweeten” life – white sugar and brown sugar. At the same time, the price of brown sugar is significantly higher than the cost of white sugar. Let's try to figure out together how brown sugar differs from white sugar and at the same time why brown sugar is more expensive than white.
Which sugar is healthier, white or brown??
White sugar is made from sugar beets or sugar cane and refined.
Beet sugar is sold exclusively in refined form, since unprocessed sugar has a poor aroma and taste.
Brown sugar sold in stores is unrefined cane sugar.
Refining is an industrially implemented process that purifies natural raw materials from impurities. Natural product separated into constituent substances, some of which go to waste. But in nature everything is arranged intelligently. Substances that contribute to the absorption of sugar by the cells of the human body are also sent to waste, along with toxins.
A person who consumes refined sugar is forced to deplete internal reserves of chromium. Chromium promotes glucose metabolism and its deficiency in the body can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes. Therefore, which sugar is better, brown or white, is clear to everyone.
Brown sugar is no different in calories from white sugar. Moreover, abuse of both leads to obesity and atherosclerosis.
According to WHO (World Health Organization), the daily, harmless intake of sugar for healthy person should not exceed sixty grams for men (about 8 tsp) and fifty grams for women. This takes into account not only sugar in spoons and pieces, which is added to coffee or tea.
You also need to count all the sugar that is contained in lemonades, juices, fruits, canned products, etc. It does not matter the type of sugar consumed - it is important to control its consumption.
In count useful substances, brown sugar occupies a leading position when compared with white sugar. IN unrefined sugar much more B vitamins, zinc, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and other minerals and vitamins.
In addition, brown sugar has a positive effect on the taste and aroma of hot drinks, highlighting and improving the natural qualities of coffee and tea. Refined sugar has a neutral effect on the aroma and taste of coffee, but changes the tea quality for the worse.
If you decide to buy more expensive but healthy brown sugar, you need to consider that the color of the sugar can also be achieved as a result of the use of dye. Then it's fake...
The consumer must be offered natural sugar, only brown.
Real unrefined cane sugar owes its color, composition, taste and smell to molasses - molasses.
Types of Brown Cane Sugar
Demerara- refined and unrefined sugar mixed with molasses. The most common on store shelves in our country.
Turbinado– coarse-crystalline natural sugar, purified with water and steam to remove excess molasses.
Muscovado- natural sugar produced with different mass fraction molasses.
An increased amount of molasses darkens its brown hue even more.
Black Barbadian sugar– unrefined, low-processed cane sugar with the largest mass fraction of molasses. Wet to the touch, Barbados sugar is very dark brown in color and has a strong natural aroma.
If you want to take care of your family's health, read food labels carefully. Real, healthy brown sugar always says unrefined. Well, its high cost, caused by transportation costs, in this case should fade into the background.
OlgaW,
Google
- Dear our readers! Please highlight the typo you found and press Ctrl+Enter. Write to us what is wrong there.
- Please leave your comment below! We ask you! We need to know your opinion! Thank you! Thank you!
Very often today in the grocery departments of grocery stores, both large and very small, you can see not only the usual beet sugar, but also rarer - reed. Which one is better to choose and why do their prices differ quite noticeably? Are these species different in any way or “sugar is sugar in Africa too”? Let's try to figure it out.
Cane sugar – food product made from reed.
Beet (more correctly - beet) sugar– a food product made from a special variety of beet.
Comparison of cane and beet sugar
What is the difference between cane and beet sugar? The question is not entirely correct. If you put it this way, then the answer will be: nothing. Having undergone maximum purification from impurities, refined cane sugar, like refined beet sugar, has a pure White color, absolutely the same taste and composition and are completely indistinguishable from one another. It is this type of sugar that is mainly present in the diet of millions of families every day. Determine what kind of raw materials served as the basis for of this product, is possible only in a special laboratory, and even then the probability of success will not be too high, because both cane and beet refined sugar is approximately 99.9% composed of a substance called sucrose (which is colloquially referred to as sugar). That is, they are simply identical.
If we are talking about an unrefined product, then the difference is present, and very noticeable. Let's start with the fact that the production of cane sugar is an older invention of mankind; it was known even before our era - in China, India, and Egypt. Later it was recognized in the Mediterranean countries, in America and, finally, in Russia, where in 1719, by order of Peter I, the first plant for producing sugar from cane was built. But the world learned about beet sugar only in the 19th century - thanks to the research of German scientists A. Marggraf and F.K. Akharda. In 1802, a plant for the production of refined sugar was opened in Germany.
In its unrefined form, beet sugar is not very edible because original product– the raw material obtained after boiling the plant juice has unpleasant smell and a specific taste. But unrefined cane sugar, on the contrary, is highly valued due to its beautiful brownish color and pleasant caramel flavor. The brownish color of cane sugar is explained by the admixture of molasses - black syrup-like molasses that envelops the crystals of the product. It contains a whole range of microelements beneficial to human health, such as calcium, potassium, iron, chromium, copper, sodium, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as B vitamins and plant fibers. In purified beet sugar, these substances are either not present at all, or they are present in microscopic doses. But don’t think that cane sugar is just perfect low calorie product For dietary nutrition and consume it in excessive quantities. Indeed, in fact, brown sweetness has even a little more calories than white refined sugar: 413 versus 409 per 100 grams. It is believed that the piquant flavor of molasses makes cane sugar great for making desserts and baking. It also perfectly complements the taste of tea and coffee.
Interestingly, a ton of cane yields more finished raw materials than sugar beets. Therefore, such a high (2-3 times more than the “usual” sugar) price for brown unrefined sweetness is not entirely justified. Perhaps it's a matter of fashion healthy eating and positioning cane sugar as an extremely healthy product.
TheDifference.ru determined that the difference between cane sugar and beet sugar is as follows:
Refined cane sugar is almost no different from its refined beet counterpart. But if we talk about unrefined cane sugar, then there is a difference, and a very noticeable one.
Cane sugar is brown, beet sugar is white.
Thanks to molasses called molasses, cane sugar contains many microelements and B vitamins, which are practically absent from beet sugar.
Cane sugar is more ancient: it was known to mankind even before our era, while beet sugar began to be produced only in the 19th century.
Cane sugar is edible in both refined and unrefined form, while beet sugar is edible only in refined form.
Cane sugar is more expensive than beet sugar.
Cane sugar is slightly higher in calories than beet sugar.
Cane sugar has a more intense aroma and taste than beet sugar.
Squeezed out fashion products: unrefined and under-refined cane sugar, caramelized crystals, etc. As a result, sugar in stores is offered at a price of 40 to 300 rubles. per package. Is it worth paying that kind of money for it?
Twin brothers
About 30% of sugar in the world, according to the Union of Sugar Producers of Russia, is made from sugar beets. It is grown in Russia and Ukraine, as well as in European countries. The remaining 70% is sugar from cane, which grows only in the tropics and subtropics (leaders in production are Brazil, India, Cuba, Mauritius, Thailand). Both sugars can be refined and... “If sugar is white, refined, it doesn’t matter what plant - beets or cane - it was obtained from, it contains 99.9% pure sucrose,” said AiF Marina Moiseyak, Associate Professor of the Department of Technology of Sugary, Subtropical and Flavoring Products at Moscow State University of Food and Industry. Today, many claim that white sugar is dangerous due to strong chemical purification. According to the expert, when making sugar, surfactants are indeed used - active detergents, but so that they do not remain in finished product, the sugar is spun in a centrifuge and washed with clean artesian water.
Brown... poison
People leading a healthy lifestyle switch to brown unrefined sugar. It is believed to have fewer calories (377 kcal - versus 387 kcal of regular sugar), and is also less likely to have been “laundered” with chemicals. In addition, it takes longer to be absorbed by the body. “In fact, it is a myth that raw cane sugar is better than white sugar,” 
invented by manufacturers and marketers, I’m sure Alexey Kovalkov, nutritionist, specialist in proper nutrition
. - Moreover, such sugar can be more dangerous than refined sugar. It is transported by ship from Latin America and Asia, and to prevent rodents from spoiling it, poison is placed between the bags. Sugar, having an excellent ability to absorb moisture, absorbs some of the poisons along with moisture from the air. Unrefined cane sugar often contains dangerous trace elements that are off the charts!”
According to him, the benefits of molasses - dark brown molasses, which is condensed cane juice - are greatly exaggerated. Yes, it contains phosphorus, calcium, iron, provitamins and amino acids, but... no more than a glass of water! To obtain daily norm nutrients, you need to eat 1-2 kg of sugar. This will cause much more harm than good. It's better to take vitamin tablets.
Expensive and fashionable
There is one more thing to think about before buying expensive brown sugar. A year ago, AiF together with the Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights “Public Control”. Without exception, all samples turned out to be cheap refined sugar, colored in Brown color! "Refined sugar was 
covered with a thin film of molasses, it’s not illegal, although it’s dishonest,” she explained Marina Tsirenina, expert who conducted the tests. - Less conscientious manufacturers may color refined sugar with artificial sugar color" Almost all producers of pseudocane sugar then called the editorial office, lamenting that they had been lied to. But no one dared to go to court and prove otherwise.
By the way, in production, unrefined cane sugar is cheaper than refined sugar. So the marketers who forced the whole world to buy it at exorbitant prices get a solid A for their work! Remember the yellowish beet sugar sold in Soviet time. It was cheaper than snow-white refined sugar and was considered a second-class product. But this is essentially the same thing - sugar that has not been purified from molasses.
Like caramel
Another sweet new product is caramelized sugar, which is sold in the form of attractive crystals. Often - on a stick. This is convenient to dissolve in a cup or use as candy. But these crystals are made from molten high temperature... the same refined sugar.
And often such sugar has an unpleasant bonus: with prolonged heating, hydroxymethylfurfural, a toxic mutagen, can form in it.
“Any sugar, regardless of the raw materials from which it is produced, large quantities“a poison that causes addiction,” sums up A. Kovalkov. - Today, without noticing, we eat half a kilo of sugar a day - with fruits, baked goods, ketchup, soups and cereals, because sugar is put almost everywhere. In the entire history of mankind, people have never consumed so much sugar! 5-6 years like this sweet life- And diabetes secured."
If you really can’t do without sugar, you can buy simple granulated sugar (see infographics for how to choose it) - it’s the cheapest, but far from the worst.
What to replace it with?
Jerusalem artichoke syrup. A sweet squeeze from a root vegetable that grows in Russia, among others, and is suitable for adding to any dish. Instead of sucrose, it contains fructose. Allowed for diabetics. From 200 rub. for 500 g.
■ Maple syrup. Famous Canadian sweet. You can sweeten everything you cook with it. From 350 rub. for 500 g.
■ Agave nectar. This cactus does not grow in Russia, so the nectar is expensive - from 500 rubles. for 500 g.
■ Stevia leaves. Natural sweetener - a special aster native to South America. Powdered leaves 10 times sweeter than sugar, but they have an aftertaste. From 1 thousand rubles. for 1 kg
How to choose sugar?
Unrefined cane sugar
Look for the word “unrefined” on the packaging, not “dark”, “golden” or “brown”, which don’t mean anything.
The type of cane sugar must be indicated on the package. For example: demerara (golden-brown large crystals), muscovado (large crystals, dark brown color), turbinado (partially refined in a turbine, golden yellow), black Barbados (sticky, almost black).
Brown sugar has a strong, specific aroma of exotic juice.
Has crystals different sizes, identical crystals indicate that it has been processed.
It cannot be as free-flowing as refined sugar. Its crystals are sticky due to molasses, the sugar is wet, sticks together in lumps that turn to stone in the air.
Place a spoonful of unrefined sugar into the glass, but do not stir. If the sugar is colored, the water will turn brownish or yellow. Good sugar will retain color and the water will remain clear.
White granulated sugar
Prefer factory-packaged rather than store-bought ones. The name of a major manufacturer gives hope that the cleaning technology was carried out correctly and household chemicals There's no sugar left.
According to GOST R 53396-2009, there are two categories: extra and first. There is no difference between them for the consumer, but manufacturers must indicate the category.
In addition, the following information must be indicated on the package:
Raw materials (beet or raw cane sugar);
The nutritional value,
Year of manufacture and date of packaging.
If the packaging indicates that the sugar contains sulfur dioxide (maybe needed for sugar refining) or uses GM products (sugar beets are often modified), it is hardly worth buying it.
White lump
There is instant (dissolution time - up to 10 minutes) and strong (more than 10 minutes). This does not characterize the quality of the sugar, but indicates how tightly the crystals are compressed into pieces.
The packaging of lump sugar should contain the same information as on the pack of granulated sugar.
Powdered sugar
Don't buy it, but rather make it yourself. The fact is that the powder always contains anti-caking agents: corn starch, tricalcium phosphate, magnesium carbonate, silicon dioxide, calcium silicate, magnesium trisilicate, sodium aluminum silicate or calcium aluminum silicate. Without them, the powder will form clumps during storage.
| Infographics by Yana Laikova |
Loading...