Facebook
header-banner-sugar-types.webp
Inside Our Food

3 Different Types of Sugar

Sugar is made from the sugar cane (Saccharum officinarumand) and the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris). Both of these raw materials can be used to produce different forms of sugar. Chemically, all these forms are alike, but they vary in colour and crystal size due to different production techniques.

Here’s a quick list of different types of sugar:

1. Refined sugar

Refined sugar

Refined sugar is the most popular form of sugar in North America and Europe. It can be made by purifying raw beet sugar through carbonation. The carbonation process involves the introduction of limewater and carbon dioxide gas into the sugar beet juice. This results in the formation of calcium carbonate which causes the impurities in the juice to precipitate.1

In the final stage of purification, activated carbon is used to give refined sugar its bright white colour.2 (Although too much sugar damages our pearly whites). Depending on the size and shape of the crystals, refined sugar may be called by different names such as castor, powdered, or decorating sugar.

2. Mill white and blanco directo

Mill white and blanco directo

Mill white and blanco directo are two popular forms of sugars used in Asian countries. These sugars usually have bigger crystals, are less bright in colour, and undergo purification to a lesser extent. They’re produced for local consumption in countries that produce cane sugar.3 This is because mill white and blanco directo sugar can form clumps, thus reducing their shelf life.

3. Brown sugar

Brown sugar

Brown sugar can be produced in two ways. It could simply be sugar that does not go through the final stage of refining or it can be produced by adding molasses to white refined sugar.4 Molasses is a by-product of the sugar production process and adds a slightly bitter and smoky flavour to the sugar. Brown sugar can be further classified into different types depending on the intensity of its colour and structure of its crystals. Demerara Sugar and Muscovado Sugar are examples.

Who knew there were so many different forms of sugar?

Keep updated with the latest news about your food with our newsletter.

Subscribe

Related articles

Most viewed

Earth First

Do Plant-based Diets Provide Enough Protein?

Klaus Hadwiger, Angelika Schulz

We've all heard the argument that plant-based diets don't provide us with enough protein - but is it…

Inside Our Food

Traditional Soy Sauce Brewing | A Portrait in the Netherlands

Kim Verhaeghe

You don't need to travel to Japan to see how soy sauce is made. In Rotterdam, Thomas Uljee and his…

Inside Our Food

7 Sweeteners and Sugar Alternatives

Dafni Acedo Leventopo

Sugar gives us the sweet taste that we all know and love, and it also acts as a preservative to keep…

The Future

Food on Ships | Secrets to Preserving Food

Annabel Slater

Food preservation is a battle against bacteria, a fight against fungi. On ship journeys, how have…

Earth First

The Surprising Sources of Protein That Are Not Animal Products

Kelly Oakes

Just because you don’t eat meat, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on protein. In fact,…

Inside Our Food

The Ethics of Foie Gras

Claudia Lee

A symbol of "haute cuisine", the story of foie gras began in Ancient Egypt. Produced by gavaging…

Inside Our Food

Chocolate | How it’s Made

Inés Oort Alonso

From pods on a tree to a bar on a supermarket shelf, discover how the bitter cacao bean transforms…

Earth First

Nutritional Yeast: How It’s Made

Samanta Oon

Nutritional yeast are golden powdery flakes that add a whiff of nutty, cheesy umami when sprinkled…

Inside Our Food

How is Instant Coffee Powder Made?

Madhura Rao

It's cheaper, quicker, and involves far less cleaning up than regular coffee. For anyone looking to…

Earth First

How Does Colour Affect The Way We Eat?

Dr Caroline Wood

It's often said that "we eat with our eyes" and science shows this is true - colour plays an…

Inside Our Food

Cheese; to pasteurise or not to pasteurise?

Meghan Horvath, Luke Cridland

Since its discovery in the nineteenth century, the process of pasteurisation has helped preserve…

Inside Our Food

Is Sugar The New Tobacco?

Silvia Lazzaris

Understanding the impacts of sugar on our health is not an easy task. Food science is complicated…

Keep updated with the latest news about your food with our newsletter

Subscribe

Follow Us