What Are The Types Of Sugar?

To sweeten countless recipes for juices, teas, coffees, cakes and sweets, there are different types of sugar. The sugar most used by people is refined sugar, but there are also more natural or artificial options. But which one can we use? Which is the best recommendation? Which is the healthiest? Let’s check this out with me now!

Life is like a cup of tea, the sugar is all at the bottom!

-Julia Ward Howe.

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1. About Sugar
2. Types Of Sugar

About Sugar

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Whether in processed foods, raw fruits, or coffee, we are eating sugar almost every day. 

Sugars are simple carbohydrates that include glucose and fructose, found in fruits and honey, and lactose, which comes from milk, but the most common sugar is sucrose, also known as table sugar.

Sucrose is produced by plants during photosynthesis and contains a glucose molecule and a fructose molecule. Sucrose has a moderate level of sweetness, forms crystals easily, and has a strong affinity for water, making it ideal for cooking and baking.

Most commercially available sucrose comes from sugar cane and about 30% of the world’s refined sugar comes from sugar beet. Since refined sugar is about 99.85% sucrose, manufacturers rarely advertise whether the sugar originates from beets or sugar cane.

In recipes, sugars of all types play an important role:

For dough production, sugars weaken the structure, improve tenderness, draw moisture away from gluten, and inhibit its development. This ability to attract and retain water is known as the hygroscopic function of sugar. It also acts as a preservative for doughs, regulating the moisture that bacteria need to grow inside the preparations.

Types Of Sugar

Granulated Sugar

Granulated sugar, also known as table sugar, is white sugar with medium-sized crystals that have removed all molasses, making it 99.85% sucrose. It is the most common type of sugar used in pastry.

Icing Sugar

Icing sugar is extremely fine white with a smooth, powdery, and not granular texture. During its manufacture, starch is added so that the grains do not come together again. It is used to make icing and sifted-over pastries.

Brown Sugar

Brown sugar is obtained from the cooking of sugarcane syrup, keeping a good part of its nutrients. Because it is unrefined, it also has larger and darker grains and a flavor very similar to sugar cane.

Demerara Sugar

Demerara sugar is similar to brown sugar and differs in that it undergoes a light purification and refinement process but without the use of chemical additives. It also retains the minerals present in sugar cane and has a milder flavor than brown sugar.

Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is made from granulated sugar boiled with water to make an ideal liquid for cocktails. It tends to have a yellowish color from the small amount of impurities.

Organic Sugar

Organic sugar has the same calories as regular sugar but preserves the nutrients present in sugarcane. The main difference is that during the production of organic sugar no artificial ingredients, chemical fertilizers, or pesticides are used. This type of sugar also differs in that it is not refined, having a thicker and darker shape.

Light Sugar

Light sugar is obtained from a mixture of refined sugar and artificial or natural sweeteners, such as sodium cyclamate, saccharin, and sucralose, making the final product have a greater sweetening power than regular sugar but with fewer calories.

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I hope this article has helped you to know about 7 types of sugar. To learn more, take a look at Cheesecake: How To Make A Classical New Yorker Dessert.

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