Turbinado Vs. Sucanat

Turbinado and Sucanat are the world's foremost types of unrefined sugars. Refined sugar is heavily processed to remove its natural molasses content, resulting in the snow-white sugar we see on supermarket shelves. Turbinado and Sucanat are not processed in the same ways, resulting in two very different styles of unrefined sugar.

The Facts

The name Sucanat is a blending of the words "sugar cane natural," and this is indeed a fitting moniker. Sucanat is the juice from the sugar cane plant that has been dried through a special process of removal, heating and cooling. The resulting sugar is on the fine side and maintains its natural molasses content.

When making Turbinado sugar, the juice from the sugar cane plant is extracted, heated and then turned into crystals. This type of sugar does not preserve much of its original molasses content, although it is often used in recipes as a substitute for brown sugar.

History

The processed white sugar that is so prevalent today is actually a relatively modern invention. For centuries, cultures that have had access to sugar cane have been reaping the benefits of this sweet plant, and they've enjoyed it in much the same manner as Turbinado or Sucanat. Being that mass production facilities and sugar refineries are products of the industrial revolution, people of previous eras harvested and utilized sugar in its most natural form: by evaporating the juice of the sugar cane.

Significance

While an overload of any type of sugar isn't healthy for anyone, there are some rather positive health benefits for those who choose Turbinado or Sucanat over refined white sugar.

Since it maintains its innate molasses, Sucanat has been proved to possess the most nutritional content of any sweetener from the sugar cane plant. The molasses adds a certain richness and also contains significant amounts of iron and calcium.

Turbinado sugar possesses far fewer calories than white sugar.

Function

In many recipes, such as for baked goods, both Turbinado and Sucanat can be used as substitutes for white sugar. The results will be virtually identical. For a recipe that calls for sugar to be sprinkled on as a garnish, such as sugar cookies or fresh strawberries, you may want to use Sucanat, as Turbinado crystals are far too crunchy. You also can use either sweetener in coffee or tea, bearing in mind that Turbinado has to dissolve a bit and a good stir is necessary.

Identification

Identify Sucanat by its small, fine, brown-colored grains. You can locate Turbinado by its beige crystals, which are firm to the touch and have a slight shimmer. In the United Kingdom, Turbinado is often referred to as demerara.

References

• Sweet and Natural: Turbinado
• Sweet and Natural: Sucanant
• Turbinado Sugar: What is it and What Are Its Benefits?

Resources

• Sugar in the Raw