There are Four Major Types of Sugar and Fourteen different forms of Sugar. This is the most detailed yet to-the-point article talks about definition of Various Types of Sugar. Kindly go through it to learn more.
You must know the Major Types of Sugar if you are an aspiring chef, culinary student or food production professional. Understanding or having knowledge of Major Types of Sugar will always help you in the kitchen during the daily preparations.
The sugar products produced worldwide are divided into following four categories, and considered Major Types of Sugar.
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Liquid Sugar
- Invert Sugar
What is Granulated Sugar?
Granulated sugar is also known as white sugar, or “regular” sugar. It is further classified into various types based on color and grain size. According to the Indian Standards Specifications (ISI), there are around 20 grades of sugar-based on grain size and colors. The color series has four grades designated as 30,29,28 and 27, while the grain size has five grades namely A, B, C, D, E.
Bulk of production in the country is of C, D and E grains, branded as large, medium and small and has the color specification of 30. The D grade produced in the country is comparable to world standards.
What is Brown Sugar?
It is used in home and food industry to develop the rich molasses type flavor in cookies, candies and similar products. It consists of sugar crystals coated in molasses syrup (Molasses or treacle is a thick syrup by-product from the processing of the sugarcane or sugar beet into sugar. In some parts of the U.S., “molasses” also refers to sorghum syrup) with natural flavor and color. Many sugar refiners produce brown sugar by boiling a special molasses syrup until the brown sugar crystals are formed.
A centrifuge spins the crystals dry. Some syrup remains, giving the sugar its brown color and molasses flavor. Other manufacturers produce brown sugar by blending special molasses syrup with white sugar crystals.
What is Liquid Sugar?
Liquid sugars were developed before today’s methods of sugar processing made transport and handling granulated sugars practical. Liquid sugar is essentially liquid granulated sugar and can be used in products wherever dissolved granulated sugar might be used.
What is Invert Sugar?
Inversion or chemical breakdown of sucrose results in invert sugar, an equal mixture of glucose and fructose. Available commercially only in liquid form, invert sugar is sweeter than granulated sugar. It is used in the carbonated beverage industry and in food products to retard the crystallization of sugar and retain moisture.
If you remember this Four Major Types of Sugar than It will have a greater and delicious impact in the recipes you create.
Well… Sugar is available in many forms. Some various forms of sugar are white sugar, caster sugar, granulated sugar, icing sugar, decorating sugar, vanilla sugar, cube sugar, jam sugar, jelly sugar, granulated brown sugar, soft brown sugar, demerara sugar, muscovado sugar, sugar syrup as Major forms of sugar.
Now let’s understand all Forms of Sugar by definition.
White Sugar
👉🏻 Refining raw sugar obtained from sugar cane or sugar beet, removing all impurities, makes white sugar.
Caster Sugar
👉🏻 Caster sugar is white, granulated sugar with very fine sugar crystals. It is also called superfine sugar, ultra-fine sugar or bar sugar. It is best used in baking and desserts, in the making of cakes, mousses, and drinks, as well as in foods and pastries that are sprinkled, rolled or coated with sugar. Also known as Breakfast sugar. In dishes where sugar is to be whipped with eggs, cream, etc, it is best to use superfine sugar.
Granulated Sugar
👉🏻 Regular granulated sugar has coarser crystals than caster or superfine sugar. It may be used in making preserves, jams, marmalades and sugar syrups. In making jams, marmalades, preserves, etc, superfine sugar can be replaced with coarser granulated sugar.
Icing Sugar
👉🏻 Icing sugar, also known as confectioners’ sugar, is made of white sugar ground into a smooth, white powder and used in icings, confections, drinks, etc. There is usually an amount of starch mixed in icing sugar to prevent clumping. Also differently colored or flavored icing sugars can be found in the sale.
Decorating Sugar
👉🏻 This white, large crystal sugar is unevenly shaped and used to sprinkle on top of sweet buns and other baked goods for garnish. It may also be called pearl, sanding, coarse or crystal sugar. There are also colored decorating sugars on sale.
Vanilla Sugar
👉🏻 A rather good substitute for real vanilla, vanilla sugar is powdered or granulated white sugar flavored with real vanilla bean. Usually, there are little black dots of powdered vanilla bean or seeds visible in the sugar. Vanilla sugar is used instead of vanilla bean to give vanilla flavor to various sweet baked goods, desserts, whipped cream, and beverages. It is added to foods only in a small amount. (usually 1 – 2 teaspoons per batch of batter, dough, etc)
Cube Sugar
👉🏻 Also called lump sugar, sugar cubes are made by molding and drying moistened, hot granulated sugar. Coming in various forms and colors, lump sugar is mainly used to sweeten various hot drinks. In cooking, lump sugar and sugar cubes may be used instead of granulated sugar in recipes where sugar is melted, like syrups and caramel. Sugar cubes are also used in desserts like Crêpes Suzette, where they are rubbed against the zest of citrus fruit to absorb their essential oils, to flavor the dish. Lump sugar can be ground into granules or powdered using a mortar, a blender or a food processor.
Jam Sugar
👉🏻 Jam sugar is a special gelling sugar used in making jams, marmalades, jellies, and other preserves, instead of regular white sugar. It consists of white, granulated sugar (about 98 %) added with natural fruit pectin (E440, gelling agent), citric acid (E330, antioxidant) and potassium sorbate (E202, preservative). When using jam sugar, the cooking time of various preserves is often reduced, thus better maintaining the flavors, colors, and vitamins of the fruits and berries used. Jam sugar cannot be used instead of regular sugar in baking or cooking, but only in making of jams, marmalades and fruit compotes or soups.
Jelly Sugar
👉🏻 Jelly sugar is used to decorate desserts and pastries and to make a set, clear dessert jellies. Jelly made with jelly sugar is spooned or brushed over berry and fruit garnishes to give them a thin and shiny, protective jelly coating. Jelly sugar is not suitable to be used in milk-based jellies and puddings or canning and preserving. Jelly sugar consists of white, granulated sugar, glucose syrup, natural fruit pectin (E440, gelling agent) and citric acid (E330, antioxidant).
Granulated Brown Sugar
👉🏻 Regular granulated brown sugar is made by coating white sugar with a layer of dark molasses. It has loose, non-sticky sugar crystals with the color ranging from light to dark brown. This type of brown sugar has a light, clean molasses flavor and coarser texture than white, superfine sugar. Granulated brown sugar can be replaced for example with demerara sugar.
Soft Brown Sugar
👉🏻 Soft brown sugar is made by coating white sugar with a layer of dark molasses. It is firmly packed, moist and slightly sticky, and has a stronger molasses flavor than brown, loose sugar. Soft brown sugar should be stored wrapped airtight to prevent it from drying and hardening into a clump.
Demerara Sugar
👉🏻 Named after the Demerara area of Guyana, the coarse-grained demerara sugar is brown, partially refined raw sugar-containing some residual impurities. The color of demerara sugar varies from golden brown (e.g. turbinado sugar) to dark brown, with a strong dark molasses flavour. Demerara sugar can be used to sweeten and flavour various hot beverages, and it is used in fruit and berry desserts or in making candies and toffees. Depending on its colour, texture and depth of flavour, it can be used to replace granulated or soft brown sugar in many sweet and savoury dishes. Turbinado sugar is a further refined type of demerara sugar with a pale colour and a mild flavour.
Muscovado Sugar
👉🏻 Muscovado sugar is the darkest of the partially refined brown raw sugars. It has slightly sticky crystals, with the color varying from light to dark brown. Muscovado sugar can be used to flavour tea, coffee, and other beverages. It brings a deep and dusky flavor of molasses into various dishes and desserts. Light muscovado sugar can be used to replace soft brown sugar in cooking and baking.
Sugar Syrups
👉🏻 Heating a measured quantity of sugar and water to boiling to dissolve the sugar and then boiling very briefly until the syrup is clear makes simple sugar syrups. Cooked sugar syrups differ from simple syrups in that they are left to boil until the water evaporates and the sugar cooks to a higher temperature. (The quantity of water used to make a cooked sugar is not crucial because it will be completely boiled off; you need use only enough to dissolve the sugar and in fact, some professionals do without the water entirely). Cooked sugars are categorized by different stages of cooking, from the softball stage at a temperature of about 240ÚF, through a hard bill, light crack, hard crack and finally to caramel, which measures well over 300ÚF, depending on the darkness of the color.
We hope that you have learned the best about the Major Types of Sugar & various Forms of Sugar via this detailed article. Add your comments to let us know the usefulness of this article. 😃
Do Check out Our Keynote Courses of Front Office, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage Service, Hotel Law, Food Production and Human Resource Management. Start Reskilling & Upskilling Today. Develop niche skills and make yourself ready for ‘New Normal’. CLICK HERE to know more!
