All sugars are sweet and we all will agree to that. There are varieties of different sugars available in the market that are either made from sugar beet or sugar cane. Irrespective of the type of sugar all have the same calorific value.
The difference in the texture, size and colour of sugar depends on the level of processing. As a thumb rule, the lesser processed varieties are better than the highly processed ones. In Culinary practices, we tend to choose the type of sugar, depending on its usage.
Sugar can be broadly classified into 3 categories White sugar, Brown sugar and Liquid sugar.
White Sugars – Highly refined form of sugar granules.
- White granulated sugar / Table sugar / Regular Sugar – The most common type of highly refined sugar with small fine sugar granules, used for general cooking and baking.
- Powdered sugar / Confectionery sugar – Granulated sugar is ground to smooth powder. It is usually mixed with a little cornstarch to prevent caking. It is used for icing, in confectionery and in whipping cream.
- Superfine sugar / Castor / Bar Sugar – This one has the smallest crystal size of white granulated sugar. It dissolves easily even in cold drinks, used for making smooth desserts, mousse or puddings.
- Baker’s Special Sugar – Sugar crystals are fine and as the name suggests largely used in the baking industry for doughnuts and cookies and recipes to create a fine crumb texture.
- Coarse Sugar – Has larger crystals than table sugar. It is highly resistant to colour change or inversion (natural breakdown to fructose and glucose), used for making fondants, confectionery and liquors.
- Sanding Sugar – This type has large or fine crystals that reflect light, used as topping sprinkles on baked goods to give the sparkling appearance.
Brown Sugars – Various amounts of molasses (thick dark brown juice obtained during the refining process of raw sugar) are mixed with white sugar to make brown sugar. They tend to clump due to high moisture content.
- Light brown sugar – It is used to make sauces and baked goods.
- Dark brown sugar – It has a stronger molasses flavour and deeper colour than light brown sugar, used for making gingerbread, barbecuing, strongly flavoured foods.
- Demerara sugar – Popular in England, light brown sugar with large golden crystals and slightly sticky due to molasses, used in tea, coffee and cereals.
- Turbinado sugar – Partially processed sugar, only surface molasses are washed off. It has slightly larger crystals and is used in baking.
- Muscovado / Barbados Sugar – Dark brown colour with coarser and sticker sandy texture and strong flavour. It is made from unrefined cane sugar where molasses are not removed.
- Free-flowing brown sugar – This type is granulated brown sugar which is less moist and sticky than regular brown sugar. It undergoes a special heating and drying process to reduce the sticky and moist nature, to produce free-flowing brown sugar.
Liquid Sugars – White granulated sugar is dissolved in water to make liquid sugar, usually in 1:1 proportion, used in various drinks.
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