What is Sugar?

What exactly do we mean when we say sugar? Well, most people would define sugar as a white powdery substance that we use to sweeten our food, but it is actually more than that. Sugar is also known as sucrose and comes from two plant sources. The two plants are cane and beet. There are many forms of sugar. There are brown sugars, Muscovado Sugar, Turbinado Sugar, Demerara Sugar, Piloncillo, Panocha, Panela, Jaggery, Superfine Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Sugar cubes, Flavored Sugar, and Decorating Sugar.

1. Brown Sugar- Brown sugar is the same as white sugar except during the process when it was made, it didn't get washed. This causes it texture and taste to change.

2. Muscovado Sugar- Muscovado Sugar is a British specialty sugar. It has slightly sticky crystals, with the colour varying from light to dark brown.It brings deep and dusky flavour of molasses into various dishes and desserts.

3. Turbinado Sugar- Turbinado Sugar is a further refined type of demerara sugar with a pale colour and a mild flavour.

4. Demerara Sugar- Demerara Sugar is an English version of turbinado sugar. The colour of demerara sugar varies from golden brown (eg turbinado sugar) to dark brown, with a strong dark molasses flavour.This sugar can be used to sweeten and flavour various hot beverages, and it is used in fruit and berry desserts or in making candies and toffees.

5. Piloncillo, Panocha, Panela, and Jaggery- Piloncillo, Panocha, Panela, and Jaggery are cones or loaves of Latin American sugars.

6. Superfine Sugar- Superfine Sugar is just the same as sugar except it has been run through a blender for a short while turning it into superfine.

7. Powdered Sugar- Powdered Sugar is the same as white sugar,except it is ground up more thoroughly than superfine sugar.

8. Sugar Cubes- Sugar cubes are the same as it name. It is a cube that is made out of sugar and light small sugar syrup to hold it together. Sugar cubes is mainly used to sweeten various hot drinks and in recipes where sugar is melted, like syrups and caramel.

9. Flavored Sugar- Flavored Sugar is a regular sugar, but has vanilla beans in it to add flavor.It is used instead of vanilla bean to give vanilla flavour to various sweet baked goods, desserts, whipped cream and beverages.

10. Decorating Sugar- Decorating Sugar is just regular white sugar, but has been sprayed with food coloring to make it look pretty on cookies, cakes, and ect.