Granulated Sugar

Granulated sugar is the common refined sugar, which is made either from sugarcane or sugar beet. So, it is basically sucrose. Earlier, sugar used to come in the form of solid loaves or blocks, as it was impossible to prevent the sugar crystals from clumping together. The sugar crystals tend to stick together due to high moisture content, and form blocks. Such loaves of sugar have to be broken apart, and then crushed a bit before using as a food additive.

But later, the sugar refining process was perfected, and now it is possible to dry out sugar so that the crystals do not clump to form sugar blocks. Once the process of making granulated sugar was figured out, the use of sugar blocks or loaves was largely avoided. However, in some places, sugar can still be found in the market in the form of minimally refined cones. For example, dark brown-colored cakes of unrefined sugar can be still found in the markets of Japan.

Refined sugars can come in different varieties, other than the standard or the regular granulated sugar that we commonly use. The grains of some granulated or refined sugars are coarser than those of the regular or standard sugar, while others can have very fine grains. For example, sanding sugar has larger granules than table sugar. It is usually used for garnishing baked goods and candies, in order to give them a sparkling appearance.

On the other hand, caster sugar has finer grains due to which it dissolves readily. This is the reason why it is preferred for baking, and for sweetening beverages. It is widely used for making cakes, mousses, and soufflés as well. Like caster sugar, the superfine sugar also has finer granules than the regular refined sugar.

These are some of the common varieties of granulated refined sugar. Apart from these, we can also find raw granulated sugar, which is a type of minimally processed sugar. This lightly processed sweetener retains some amount of molasses, which give it a golden hue. The standard refined sugar on the other hand, is completely white, as it lost all molasses during the manufacturing process.

The raw or partially processed sugar also possesses a special flavor due to the presence of residual plant substances in it, while the regular refined sugar has no flavor of its own. The grains of the raw granulated sugar are generally coarser and larger than the refined sugar, and they also have a tendency to stick together.

The term granulated sugar is commonly used for refined sugar, and not for the raw granulated sugar. 1 teaspoon of refined sugar contains 16 calories, and 4.2 gm carbohydrates. Refined sugar does not contain any fats, cholesterol, proteins, and vitamins. No significant amount of minerals can be found in refined sugar.

Sugar has been produced in the Indian subcontinent for a long time. The Indians presumably discovered the process of crystallizing sugar around 350 AD. Later this method was brought to China by the Buddhist monks. But it was the Arabs who not only learned the technique of sugar production, but also improved it and established an industry by setting up refineries, factories, and plantations.

Today, sugar is an indispensable ingredient in many food and beverages. However, an excessive consumption of sugar has been suspected to be associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity. So, it is quite natural to look for an ideal sugar substitute.

Artificial sweeteners, date sugar, brown sugar, sucanat, honey, maple syrup and sugar, and turbinado or turbinated sugar are some common sweeteners that can be used to substitute granulated or refined sugar.

Though granulated sugar usually does not clump together, it has a tendency to do so if exposed to moisture. Therefore, it is better to store it in a cool and dry place, and keep it away from heat.