The basic rule is the following: the darker the sugar, the more vitamins and mineral salts it has, and the closer to the raw state it is. The white color means that the sugar received chemical additives in the last manufacturing process, the refinement, which we explain in detail at the end of the text. Although these additives make the product look pretty, they also «steal» most of the nutrients. Just to give an example, in 100 grams of very dark brown sugar, there are 85 milligrams of calcium, 29 milligrams of magnesium, 22 milligrams of phosphorus and 346 milligrams of potassium. To compare, in the same amount of refined sugar, the most common white type, we find a maximum of 2 milligrams of each of these nutrients.
The raw material for our sugar, you know, is cane. Before arriving at our table, the plant goes through several manufacturing stages. First, it is ground to extract the sweet juice. Afterwards, the purification begins, in which the broth is heated to 105ºC and filtered to remove impurities. Then, the broth is evaporated, turns into a syrup and goes on to cooking, where the sugar crystals that we know appear. Finally, the whiter types of sugar still undergo refinement, when the product is chemically treated to improve its taste and appearance. The end result is crystal sugar, but if you mold and compress the crystals with sugar syrup, you can make lump sugar. In addition to cane, there is sugar in fruits and corn (fructose) and in milk (lactose). Beetroot is another source of sugar, but it has a different extraction process. It is popular in Europe: as there is no cane there, the beet joined the dance.
confectioner
It has crystals so fine they look like baby powder. Excellent for making glazes and toppings. The secret is sophisticated refinement, which includes sieving to get the mini-crystals and adding rice, corn or calcium phosphate starch to prevent the mini-crystals from getting back together.
Organic
It is different from all other types because it does not use artificial ingredients in any stage of the production cycle, from planting to industrialization. Organic sugar is more expensive, thicker and darker than refined sugar, but it has the same power as the sweetener.
light
It arises from the combination of refined sugar with artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, cyclamate and saccharin, which quadruple the sweetening power. A cup of coffee only needs 2 grams of light sugar to be sweet, against 6 grams of common sugar. Therefore, those who consume light sugar ingest less calories
Liquid
It is obtained by dissolving refined sugar in water. Used in fizzy drinks, candies and sweets, liquid sugar is not sold in supermarkets. One of the advantages is that it does not need to be stored in bags, reducing the risk of contamination with dust and microorganisms.
Fructose
It is the sugar extracted from fruits and corn. Without the need for any additives, fructose is about 30 times sweeter than regular sugar, but it’s fattening without offering even a little vitamin. Most of the fructose sold in Brazil is imported and has rather bitter prices.
Refined
Also known as white sugar, it is the most common sugar in supermarkets. In refining, chemical additives such as sulfur make the product white and delicious. The downside is that this process removes vitamins and mineral salts, leaving only “empty calories” (no nutrients)
brown
It is raw sugar, dark and moist, extracted after cooking sugarcane juice. As brown sugar does not go through the refinement stage, it preserves calcium, iron and mineral salts. But its taste, very similar to that of sugarcane juice, is disliked by some people.
Crystal
It is sugar with large and transparent crystals, difficult to dissolve in water. After cooking, it only undergoes a light refinement, which removes “only” 90% of the mineral salts. Because it is economical and yields a lot, crystal sugar always appears in recipes for cakes and sweets.
Demerara
Also used in the preparation of sweets, this strangely named sugar is one of the most expensive types. It goes through a light refinement and does not receive any chemical additives. Therefore, its grains are light brown and have high nutritional values, similar to those of brown sugar.