Until I tried real cane sugar, I thought with full confidence that I was buying at the supermarket. healthy sugar under the guise of cane and only recently found out that all the "cane" sugar in the store is just ordinary refined sugar, covered with a thin film of cane molasses, and real sugar must be found elsewhere.

At first I was very indignant, because on the packages of very well-known and popular manufacturers such as Mistral - Demerara cane sugar, Brown & White "Golden Demerara, BILLINGTON'S" Natural Demerara "this supposedly real, cane sugar is clearly written: unrefined cane sugar and then a list of microelements is written .

Aren't manufacturers responsible for a product that doesn't match what they write on the packaging?

It turns out that in Europe it is allowed to write unrefined sugar on the package if it was covered with cane molasses. That is, such artificially produced unrefined sugar is obtained, which has nothing to do with real sugar obtained from stripped off cane juice.

In Russia, unfortunately, there are no regulations at all that would prohibit the sale of refined sugar coated with cane molasses under the guise of unrefined sugar.

Test purchase results!

“Googling” on the Internet, I found several forums where counterfeit cane sugar, the above-mentioned companies, is actively discussed, but the most interesting thing that I managed to find on this topic is, of course, the published results of the test purchase of “cane” sugar by these companies. The study showed that all the samples presented were nothing more than ordinary refined sugar coated with cane molasses.

What exactly the refined sugar was from - from sugar beets or from cane, they did not begin to determine, since it no longer matters, because refined cane sugar is of no use as well as beet sugar. All the benefits of sugar in molasses! For proper nutrition raw sugar is used

Who produces real cane sugar?

Fortunately, not everything is so bad, and I found the only company I know that produces the very real and healthy unrefined cane sugar - this is the Indian company Akshaya Invite LLC, which produces its Gur sugar under the Saharaja brand. What is interesting The birthplace of cane sugar is India and where, if not there, you can find real cane sugar!

5 Signs of Real Cane Sugar!

Unformed appearance. Sugar brand "Saharaja" is a solid unformed mass of brown color with a very bright rich flavor of molasses. They used to sell this kind of dark brown goo that was very inconvenient to use, you could chew it like candy, but it was impossible to add it to baked goods. Now they have begun to evaporate water from sugar to the end and release a completely dry mass, which can already completely replace the sugar we are used to, but there are no clearly defined sugar crystals in it, as we are used to!

These pebbles are often formed when cane sugar hardens.

The property to harden in air. None of the refined sugars covered with molasses will harden on you. Saharaja sugar hardens very quickly, in just a few days after opening the package, and then it has to be broken into pieces. I solve this problem very simply, I grind sugar in a coffee grinder in small batches so that it lasts for several days, because even ground in powdered sugar Cane sugar hardens again and has to be actively kneaded with a spoon, or thrown into a coffee grinder again. But these are all trifles in comparison with the benefits and taste that you get from real unrefined cane sugar.

Water on the left, Saharaja sugar added to the water on the right

Turbidity of water. The addition of Saharaja sugar to water, tea, coffee or fruit drink causes an active turbidity of the liquid, this is a property of molasses, while the sugar itself remains brown. Artificially molasses-coated refined sugar can also cause a slight cloudiness in the water, but you will see that the sugar turns white.

On the left is a transparent tea without sugar, on the right is a cloudy tea with sugar "Saharaja"

Less sweet and incredibly full-bodied. If you try Saharaja sugar, you will understand that you have only tasted refined sugar before. It is often compared to the taste of honey, it is so rich in flavors.

You can't make lollipops out of it. Ordinary sugar makes excellent cockerels on a stick at home, but you won’t be able to make such lollipops from Saharaja sugar. Probably due to a large number sticky molasses, lollipops stick tightly to our Soviet cast iron mold for lollipops, no matter how well I lubricate it vegetable oil and if you make lollipops in silicone mold, then they turn out to be very sticky and, as it were, melt when they lie on a dish or a wooden board, leaving sticky marks. In general, my attempt to make healthy candies for the child was not successful and I had to make them from fructose.

There is also the 6th sign, but you cannot check it at home - this is a rich vitamin and mineral composition.

Sugar "Saharaja" contains per 100 gr. product: iron - 2.05 mg, phosphorus - 22.3 mg, magnesium - 117.4 mg, zinc - 0.594 mg, potassium - 331.4 mg, calcium - 62.17 mg, vit. PP - 0.01 mg, vit C - 0.057 mg, vit B2 - 0.004 mg, vit B1 - 0.012 mg.

The question arises, where to buy unrefined cane sugar?

I used to buy it in organic online stores, and now I go to my store for sugar, and you can also buy Saharaja cane sugar in our store!

In this comparison, we did not mention sugar from other raw materials, such as maple sugar, palm sugar and sorghum sugar. We did this primarily for the reason that we mostly sell cane and beetroot for sale. Let's take a closer look.
Cane sugar
Cane sugar is sugar derived from sugar cane.
In 1490, Columbus moved sugar cane from the Canary Islands to Santo Domingo (Haiti), and from that time its culture in the West Indies and Central America began to develop rapidly, and colonial granulated sugar began to cover the general need for it in Europe, in which starting from the 16th century, refineries appeared to purify it. Nevertheless, sugar remained a luxury item for a long time, until the 19th century. Most of the sugar consumed in the world today comes from sugar cane.
Sugar cane is a perennial herb cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. Its cultivation requires a frost-free climate with sufficient rainfall during the growing season to take full advantage of the plant's enormous growth potential. Harvested mechanically or by hand, the stems are cut into pieces and quickly transported to a processing plant. Here, the raw material is either crushed and the juice is extracted with water, or the sugar is extracted by diffusion. The juice is then purified with slaked lime (defecation) and heated to kill the enzymes. As a result, the liquid syrup is passed through a series of evaporators, after which the remaining water is removed by evaporation in a vacuum container. The supersaturated solution then crystallizes to form sugar crystals. The molasses, which is a by-product of the sugar production process, and the fibers from the stalks, known as bagasse, are burned to provide energy for the sugar extraction process. Raw sugar crystals have a sticky brown coating and can be eaten as is, or bleached with sulfur dioxide or carbonic acid (saturation) to produce a white product
beet sugar
Beet (beet) sugar is sugar, the raw material for the production of which was sugar beets.
In 1747, Andreas Margraf published in the memoirs of the Berlin Academy of Sciences his observations on the possibility of extracting sugar from sugar beet roots and even indicated the procedure, which in essential terms has been preserved to this day. A huge push for the development of production beet sugar gave Napoleon, who thus tried to get rid of the dependence on imported sugar, supplied in those days by Great Britain.
In Russia, the first factory for the extraction of beet juice, mainly for processing into alcohol, was founded by Major General Blankenigel in 1802 in the Tula province, then the sugar factory was set up by Ivan Akimovich Maltsov in 1809, the further development of Russian beet sugar production owes much to the family of Counts Bobrinsky . In 1897, 236 factories operated in Russia, the productivity of which was up to 45 million pounds per year.
Regarding the difference between beet and cane sugar, let's say the following: Having passed the maximum purification from impurities, refined cane sugar, just like refined beet sugar, has a pure white color, absolutely the same taste and composition and does not differ at all from one another. It is this sugar that is mostly present in our diet every day.
The difference can only be in unrefined sugar, and quite significant. Unrefined cane sugar, highly valued for its beautiful brownish color and pleasant caramel flavor. But you need to be careful when buying, look for the inscription “unrefined” on the package, and not “caramel” or “brown sugar” (often attackers simply color regular refined sugar and sell it for more). Raw cane sugar contains calcium, potassium, iron, chromium, copper, sodium, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as B vitamins and plant fibers.
But in the production of sugar from beets, the raw materials undergo more complex processing; in its unrefined form, beet sugar is not very edible, since original product- raw, obtained after boiling the juice of the plant, has bad smell and quite memorable taste. It is difficult to find such sugar on sale, only if the sugar beet processing plant operates with technology violations.

So, the main difference between cane and beet sugar (besides the fact that they are made from different raw materials) is that cane sugar is usable both in refined and unrefined form, and beet sugar is only in purified form.

People learned how to extract sugar from cane much earlier than from beets. The first mention of this product refers to Ancient India, where herbaceous plant The genus Saccharum began to be cultivated over 5,000 years ago. In Europe, cane sugar appeared during the time of Alexander the Great, who, along with the countless wonders of this ancient country, was attracted by "honey without bees."

industrial production

The beginning is connected with India industrial production sugar from sugar cane. In the 16th century, Indians began to get so much sugar from the juice of cane stalks that the Indian kingdoms were able to provide them with all of Asia and Europe. Subsequently, sugar from cane began to be produced and sold by the East India Company. In our country, the first plant for the production of refined sugar from imported raw sugar appeared only at the beginning of the 18th century.

Currently, India remains one of the leading suppliers of brown sugar, second only to Brazil (342 thousand tons and 734 thousand tons, respectively). Also in the top five are China, Thailand and Pakistan. Among the supplier companies, the leading positions are occupied by: Acugar Guarani, Copersucar S.A. and the USJ group.

Cane sugar and regular white - what's the difference?

Most of all, the average buyer is interested in how cane sugar differs from ordinary sugar. It turns out that almost nothing, if we are talking about a refined product. Apart from a slight difference between cane sugar and traditional sugar in terms of sucrose content and origin, these are two almost identical products with a minimum content useful substances.

But if we are talking about raw, then there are a lot of differences: from appearance(the color of raw cane sugar is brown, and the structure is more viscous), up to a whole list useful properties, which will be discussed below. In fairness, it should be said that beet sugar is not produced in its raw form, therefore, it can only be compared with refined refined sugar common on the market.

The benefits and harms of cane sugar

The benefits of cane sugar primarily lie in its rich vitamin and mineral composition. It contains almost all B vitamins and substances that promote their absorption, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and many other minerals. The calorie content of cane sugar is almost entirely white sugar. But due to the low glycemic index, all the energy received goes to support the vital activity of the body, and is not transformed into fats, as is the case with beet sugar.

Due to the high calorie content, nutritionists do not recommend the use of cane sugar in excessive amounts. Otherwise, you can get overweight, diabetes or atherosclerosis. To get only the benefits of cane sugar, choose unrefined product and eat it daily in an amount of no more than 60 grams.

Unusual uses

Sugar can be used for more than just flavoring drinks and baked goods. In Sweden, for example, it is used as a unique spice. Everyone's favorite liver paste and pickled herring is prepared by Swedish chefs using cane sugar. It is also added to various sauces, soups and cold dishes.

In cosmetology, the properties of cane sugar for moisturizing, cleansing and whitening the skin are known. For example, you can prepare a face mask that has an instant effect. You will need a few tablespoons for this. fresh milk, a couple of drops olive oil, and 1-2 tablespoons of unrefined sugar. By applying the finished composition to the skin and leaving it for 5 minutes, you will be surprised to find how the skin becomes more beautiful and silky.

Natural brown sugar is unique product, the properties of which science is just beginning to reveal. Therefore, replacing the traditional beetroot sweetener with it is the only right decision that will allow you to fill the body with rare vitamins and minerals.

Most people actively use sugar in Everyday life. It is added to the most different dishes and food, and many do not even think about the benefits and dangers of such a substance. However, in stores you can buy several types of sugar and sweeteners that differ in composition and even in their taste characteristics. So sugar can be made from different plants, including sugar cane and sugar beets, as well as stevia. Consider on this page www.. And also, which sugar is healthier: cane, beet or stevia?

Composition of sugar cane

Such a plant has long been used to make sugar, many people are sure that sugar from it is much more useful than ordinary beetroot. It is believed that sugar cane contains 14-17% fiber, 63-65% water, approximately 17-22% juice dry matter. Also, this plant is a source of 0.1-1% reducing sugars, 1.5-2.5% soluble impurities and 12-20% sucrose.

Sugar beet - what is its composition?

As for sugar beets, this product is a source of 70-80% water, 3-5% fiber and hemicellulose, 20-22% carbohydrates (including 16-20% sugar), 1-2% nitrogenous substances and 0.5 -0.8% ash. One hundred grams of this vegetable contains 0.4 mg of vitamin PP, 0.1 mg of vitamin E, approximately 10 mg of ascorbic acid. Sugar beet contains vitamin B9 (13mcg), B6 ​​(0.07mg), B5 (0.1mg), B2 (0.04mg) and B1 (0.02mg). It also contains 0.01 mg of beta carotene.

Sugar beet is a source of a number of minerals represented by rubidium (453mcg), nickel (14mcg), cobalt (2mcg), vanadium (70mcg), boron (280mcg) and molybdenum (10mcg). It also contains fluorine (20mcg), chromium (20mg), manganese (0.66mg) and copper (140mg). Sugar beet contains a certain amount of iodine (7mcg), zinc (0.425mg), iron (1.4mg), sulfur (7mg) and chlorine (43mg). It also saturates the body with potassium (288mg), phosphorus (43mg), sodium (46mg), magnesium (22mg) and calcium (37mg).

Stevia - chemical composition

The stevia herb has quite diverse composition. It contains 18% diterpene glycosides, 30-45% flavonoids (more than twelve varieties), 10-15% chlorophylls and xanthophylls, 2.5-3% oxybrown acids. Also, this plant has in its composition 1.6% -2% oligosaccharides, 3-5% free sugars, 1.5-3% amino acids (of which 8 are essential). Also in this weed there are 0.18% of mineral compounds (zinc, chromium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, magnesium, selenium, sodium and iodine) and 0.1% of a complex of vitamins (A, C, D, E, K and P) .

Which sugar is healthier than cane or beet sugar or stevia?

Experts say that about a third of all sugar in the world is produced from sugar beets, and the remaining 70% comes from cane sugar, which grows in the tropics and subtropics. In principle, both of these types of sugar can be refined or unrefined. But it is basically impossible to find unrefined beet sugar on sale.

If we compare the useful qualities of refined beet sugar and refined cane sugar, then they are almost the same and equal to "zero". After all, the processing of such products during manufacture leads to the elimination of the lion's share of useful substances from it. Also, both of these types of sugar have the same effect on the body.

If we talk about useful qualities unrefined cane sugar, they are, of course, slightly higher than those of refined products. However unique properties such a product is greatly exaggerated. Scientists say that the amount of vitamins and minerals in cane sugar is negligible - a little more than in a glass of water.

In addition, cane sugar can be harmful to health if it is not properly transported (for example, next to rodent poison, which is often practiced on ships).

As for stevia, it is a plant that is popular among fans of proper and balanced nutrition. It is believed that such a product can have a positive effect on health, namely, strengthen immunity, improve metabolic processes, etc. In addition, stevia is characterized zero calorie, and its sweetness is due to the presence of unique glycosides in its composition. Means based on it can be used as a sweetener for diabetes.

Some scientists claim that stevia is able to optimize arterial pressure and digestive processes, prevent the development of oncological ailments, defeat allergies and other pathological conditions.

It is worth noting that to date, not a single fully confirmed negative quality of stevia is known, with the exception of allergic reactions. The only significant drawback of this product is the relatively high cost. Of course, it is better not to consume such leaves during pregnancy and during breastfeeding. You also need to remember that fakes are often found on the market.

If you do not suffer from any health problems, you can consume regular sugar. But stevia, of course, is a worthy alternative to such a product, it can be useful for diabetics and people suffering from obesity.

How is brown sugar different from regular white sugar?

Many people think that cane brown sugar is healthier than white sugar. Therefore, for the sake of benefit, some people try to replace ordinary white sugar with brown, cane sugar.

It has become quite fashionable. After all, brown sugar beautiful shape lying on a slot in an elegant sugar bowl looks more attractive and elegant. Such sugar has even become a kind of symbol of prosperity and sophistication ... It is served in expensive restaurants and hotels.

Let's take a closer look at how cane sugar differs from ordinary sugar.

What do we know about brown and white sugar?

What is Cane Brown Sugar?

brown cane sugar is a product made from cane. Brown sugar has its own color due to the fact that it is not purified. Ideally, brown sugar should be unrefined.

Brown sugar contains organic matter, and plant juice, but their content is not high!

Real unrefined cane sugar sold in our country can only be imported. The packaging should indicate where the cane from which this sugar is made, as well as where it was packaged, should be written. Cane sugar is brought to us, as a rule, from Latin America, Australia and the Pacific islands, for example, Mauritius.

Keep in mind that cane sugar can also be white, i.e. It is refined cane sugar.

What is white sugar?

white sugar is a refined product. Refining is industrial process, purifying natural raw materials from impurities.

Ordinary white sugar refers to carbohydrates, which are considered valuable nutrients that provide the body with the necessary energy.

Sugar is a disaccharide that is made up of glucose and fructose. Glucose quickly enters the bloodstream and provides energy for thoughts and muscles, while fructose is transformed through the liver.

Cane sugar can also be white.

Beet and cane refined sugar, in fact, do not differ from each other!

Which is healthier than unrefined cane sugar or regular white refined sugar?

In fact, there is a difference between these types of sugar, but it is not as significant as it might initially seem. Because, for example, the number of calories and there and there is almost the same.

Brown sugar has 377 calories, while regular refined sugar has 387 calories.

Real cane sugar does have some useful trace elements, but there are very few of them.

most brown cane sugar Russian market- this is ordinary white sugar, colored with molasses or caramelspruce

In addition, a significant part of the brown sugar sold in our country is the same white, just tinted with caramel. The number of fakes is very high!

Moreover, not only tinted beet sugar can serve as a fake, but also from cane, ordinary refined cane sugar.

How is white sugar faked as brown and why?

I make it very easy! Ordinary white sugar, just dyed brown. Fortunately, chemical agents are rarely used for this. food colorings.

The most popular ingredient used by manufacturers to brown refined sugar is cane molasses or molasses. With the help of such molasses it is easier to hide the deception.

By itself, molasses even contains some useful microelements, but they are not distributed inside the sugar crystal, as it should be, but are on top and cover the purified refined sugar crystal.

Why is brown sugar counterfeited?

It's all about the price! The cost of real unrefined sugar is many times higher, which is pushing many manufacturers to cheat.

In pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and the special usefulness of the product, which, according to the expert of the Consumer Rights Protection Society, Roman Gaidashov, is very conditional, the consumer is ready to shell out good money.

The cost of unrefined cane sugar is at least three times more expensive than regular sugar. This is mainly due to the fact that it grows far away and bringing it to Russia is not cheap.

A little bit about sugar cane! Sugar cane, what is it? Sugarcane belongs to the grass family and is a real giant in this family. Grasses such as woody bamboo, cereals and lawn grass belong to the same family. In the leaves of all these plants, the process of photosynthesis occurs, which contributes to the production of sugar. But in sugar cane, unlike all other plants of this family, especially a lot of sugar is produced. It accumulates in the fibrous stems of this plant, in the form of a sweet juice. Sugarcane - a bit of history Sugarcane was first found in the rainforests of Southeast Asia and New Guinea. The cultivation of sugar cane has been practiced since ancient times. Back in India, when 327 BC. e. troops of Alexander the Great invaded this state, the Greeks wrote that the locals "chewed a wonderful cane that gave honey without the help of bees." The rapid growth and mass cultivation of sugar cane began in the 15th century, when the Western European powers began to make colonial conquests. Sugarcane today Today there are great amount varieties of sugar cane, several thousand. It is grown all over the world, in more than 80 countries. The annual world sugarcane harvest is about one billion tons.

Should I buy brown sugar instead of white?

Interestingly, in those countries where sugarcane is grown, brown unrefined sugar is quite inexpensive. No more expensive than ordinary granulated sugar in our stores. But we have a completely different price for it. Just like the price of mangoes, papaya and coconuts...

It is important to know - How much sugar can you have per day? Many nutritionists recommend eating no more than 30g of sugar per day. It's about 5 teaspoons.

Therefore, whether or not to buy such sugar should be primarily a decision based on cost considerations rather than health benefits. Because this benefit, of course, is, but it does not greatly exceed the benefits of ordinary white beet refined sugar.

Of course, cane sugar looks much prettier than regular white sugar in cubes. Not to mention the fact that there is also candy sugar, sugar in briquettes, lump sugar and many other types of sugar, which, in addition to palatability, combine high visual and aesthetic properties.

Remember that sugar consumption rates do not depend on its color!

But if your financial situation allows you to safely buy sugar for everyday use, which costs at least three times as much as usual, then that's great! Why not?

The only thing, at the same time, it is very important not to forget that consuming sugar, as well as excessively, is unhealthy and the color of sugar here absolutely does not matter.