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The difference between cane sugar and regular sugar. Cane sugar - benefits and harms

Irina Kamshilina

Cooking for someone is much more pleasant than for yourself))

Content

An alternative to the usual white beet refined sugar, other options are increasingly being offered: unrefined, caramel, cane product. Nutritionists continue to insist on the dangers of "sweet poison", and the food industry is quickly switching to advertising various analogues aimed at replacing conventional refined sugar.

Cane Sugar vs Regular Sugar - What's the Difference?

Sucrose is a carbohydrate, an important nutrient that serves as a source of energy, so necessary for brain activity. White color and the product obtained not only from beet, but also from reed plants. The brown color is due to the cleaning process without the method of recrystallization (raw material refining) used in the processing of sugar beets. This is the first difference between cane sugar and ordinary beet sugar, but, in fact, they are the same.

What is brown sugar? During technological purification, molasses is released from sucrose of cane plants - black molasses. The result is the same granulated sugar, but with a slightly lower calorie content and a different composition of trace elements. The body does not feel much difference from the consumed white or brown sugar product. The assumption that molasses contains more vitamins and trace elements compared to molasses is still being studied.

Real cane sugar

For the production of this type of food sucrose, the noble sugar cane plant (Saccharum officinarum or Saccharum spontaneum) is cultivated. Real cane sugar on our shelves should be exclusively imported: the area of ​​​​cane growth is Australia, India, Brazil, Cuba. The packaging of the product must contain information about the place of growth of the plant and packaging. The color of sugar varies from light to dark brown and depends on the region of cultivation and the concentration of molasses: the more molasses, the darker the shade.

The main types of brown sugar product are:

  • muscovado;
  • turbinado;
  • demerara.

Sugar Muscovado

Muscovado sugar (it can also be called Barbados sugar) is obtained by first boiling the juice, it contains 10% molasses. Muscovado crystals are dark, sticky to the touch and have a strong caramel smell. When they are added, baking acquires a special honey color, the aroma of molasses and does not get stale for a long time. Muscovado is also suitable for adding to coffee.

Sugar Turbinado

Turbinado sugar is partially refined, processed with water vapor (turbine), which is why it got its name. This is a high-quality bioproduct: no chemical elements are used for its production. Turbinado sugar crystals are dry, crumbly, from golden to brown in color, depending on the processing time, used to sweeten tea and coffee drinks, cocktails, salads, sauces.

Cane Sugar Demerara

In stores, this type is more common, made by Mistral from raw materials from the tropical island of Mauritius. These are brown-gold solid large crystals. Cane sugar Demerara is ideal for tea, coffee, cocktails. Superbly caramelized, revealing a rich taste and pleasant aroma in the process. Such cane sugar does not dissolve well in the dough, but it will look great sprinkled on baked goods.

cane sugar calories

"Sweet Poison" is 88% sucrose. The calorie content of cane sugar and refined sugar is not fundamentally different: 377 kcal versus 387 kcal per 100 g. This calorie content is 18% of the daily intake based on the use of 2000 kcal / day. The energy value in the proportions of BJU: 0% protein / 0% fat / 103% carbohydrates, that is, it contains a lot of carbohydrates and calories - it will not help you lose weight!

Cane sugar benefits

From sucrose, you can get a lot of the elements you need for health. How is brown sugar different from regular white sugar? First of all, the benefits of cane sugar are due to the presence of B vitamins necessary for metabolic processes. In the West, it is used by vegetarians to replenish iron deficiency: it contains a lot of magnesium and iron, while in refined sugar there is no magnesium at all, and iron is several times less. The raw sugar product retains the useful elements of molasses: sodium, calcium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, and is useful:

  • those who are recommended a "sweet diet" for liver problems;
  • for pressure regulation;
  • to normalize fat metabolism;
  • to speed up protein metabolism;
  • to remove toxins from the body;
  • for nervous system;
  • diabetics: there are no special differences in using it instead of refined sugar in diabetes, it is necessary to monitor the dose and kilocalories.


surprisingly, brown sugar, extracted from sugar cane, appeared much earlier than white. First, he conquered India, then went to travel around Europe, and only then, together with Christopher Columbus, crossed the ocean to stop at the beautiful Hispaniola, now better known as the Dominican Republic. It was there that the largest sugar cane plantations were set up in order to establish regular supplies for the European nobility. Accessories were immediately invented for the new favorite: sugar bowls, tongs and stirring spoons.

Brown sugar is useful due to the content of black molasses in it, the so-called molasses - a thick liquid with a specific aroma. It is in molasses that the palette of such vital trace elements as potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, copper, phosphorus and iron is full. Potassium cleanses the intestines and removes toxins from the body, it regulates blood pressure and is involved in the metabolism of proteins and fats. Without potassium, normal cardiac activity would not be possible.

Calcium is known to strengthen bones and teeth. And it is extremely important for the blood coagulation system, and is necessary for normal functioning nervous system. Also, without calcium, the muscles will not contract properly.

But zinc is involved in the processes of hematopoiesis, helps to normalize fat metabolism. It is necessary for the growth of skin cells, hair and wound healing.

Copper helps the growth and development of the body, participates in the construction of many proteins and enzymes, and also takes part in the activity of the immune system.

Magnesium speeds up metabolism, prevents the process of stone formation. In addition, magnesium helps the body adapt to the cold.

Phosphorus, which is contained in cane sugar, is involved in metabolic processes. This mineral is found in cells, especially cell membranes, and is vital for strong bones because, in the form of calcium phosphate, it is the main structural component of bones and teeth. Phosphorus is simply necessary for the functioning of the brain, heart muscle and skeletal muscles.

A lack of phosphorus can cause energy problems and metabolic disorders. Iron is very useful for the circulatory system.

Since this product is classified as complex complex carbohydrates, its absorption is slow, and brown sugar is useful for anyone who is losing weight. It is actively used in healthy eating, diets, recovery after training. In addition, due to its specific properties and high quality, cane sugar is indispensable in baby food, as well as the nutrition of people prone to allergies.

not for nothing different kinds brown sugar are an essential ingredient in Japanese cuisine, which is the benchmark for a balanced diet.

In fact, it's just amazing, but on the streets of Tokyo it's hard to meet not only obese, but overweight Japanese women.

It is the Japanese who have long been leading the world in terms of average life expectancy. Experts believe that this is due to the consumption of healthy natural products and brown sugar.

Cane brown sugar is ideal for coffee and tea. It not only adds sweetness to them, but enhances their flavor. No wonder in European countries cane brown sugar is called "tea sugar".

A few years ago, few people in our country knew about brown sugar. But the fashion for health and diet has done its job. There was a need to replace the usual sugar for something else, tasty and healthy.

Brown sugar came to the rescue. Suffice it to say that for us brown sugar New Product, and all over the world it is ordinary sugar, which they have been using for decades. Brown sugar is also sold and bought there, just like our favorite granulated sugar.

Brown sugar is made from sugar cane. But unlike ordinary cane sugar, it does not undergo such cruel processing and all useful substances remain in it. So brown sugar can be a source of potassium and calcium for your body, brown sugar also has copper and iron. Moreover, the number of these trace elements is quite large. Brown sugar gets its color from molasses. It is black molasses that is a storehouse of vitamins and microelements.

Brown sugar can be of different shades, depending on how much molasses it contains. Different types Brown sugar has different flavors and smells. Some people may find the smell of brown sugar unpleasant. But by adding brown sugar to coffee or tea, you get a delicious aroma with a unique touch.

Brown sugar is great for baking. There are special recipes with brown sugar, and if you replace it, then the dish simply does not work out. It's like replacing wheat flour with rye flour. Brown sugar made specifically for baking comes in a variety of flavors, such as brown sugar with cinnamon or brown sugar with mint.

Brown sugar is not as widespread in our country as in Europe and America. Brown sugar is worthy of standing in our kitchen, poured into a sugar bowl. Time will pass and brown sugar will occupy a worthy niche in the domestic market. This is due to the fact that people are becoming more and more concerned about their nutrition and health. And brown sugar, like no other, has a positive effect on health and general tone.

The love of sweets, instilled by centuries of consumption of beet sugar, will not disappear. Therefore, those who think about themselves and their families will use brown sugar, at least in half with beet sugar.

Brown sugar is neither exotic nor rare. In many countries, this is a common product. We're just not used to it. The only truly healthy brown sugar is cane sugar. There are several varieties of brown sugar.

Golden Granulated - these light golden crystals are perfect for coffee, tea, fruit salads and porridge.

Demerara - sugar, which has a specific rich aroma, can cause some shock in people who are used to the fact that sugar does not smell at all. The first thought is that something was added there. In fact, it smells like molasses released during the processing of sugar cane, that is, the most natural product that is. Connoisseurs add demerara to coffee - this gives the taste of the drink an additional piquancy.

Muskovado - in light molasses less, in dark, respectively, more. The first has a delicate aroma and taste, reminiscent of cream fudge. It is good for baking and making creams. Dark Muscovado has a dark brown, almost black color and a very moist texture. Some gourmets eat this sugar in its pure form. And it is also perfect for making original sauces, seasonings for dishes, mousses and mulled wine.

Origin, production.

Probably, Nero also knew sugar, saccharum (from the Sanskrit sarkura). Brown sugar grains were prepared from sugar cane juice and imported to Europe from India. Egypt, at that time a province of the Roman Empire, was an intermediary in trade with India. Later, the Romans cultivated sugar cane in Sicily and southern Spain, but this tradition was lost with the fall of the Empire.

The first crusaders, having arrived in Lebanon, learned about a wonderful plant that reached 7 meters in height and gave sweet juice. It was called honey cane. Soon, plantations of this plant appeared in Spain, southern France, on the island of Madeira, as well as on the Mediterranean islands - Rhodes, Crete, Cyprus, Sicily. However, Venice remained the center of the sugar trade, buying it in the East.

For a long time, sugar was considered a drug: they were sold in pharmacies. Everything changed with the discovery of America. Through Antwerp and Hamburg, Caribbean sugar was imported to Europe. It was a luxury, a symbol of wealth. It was kept in silver boxes, locked with a key. They were traded for their weight in gold. At the courts of kings and princes, table vases made from brown sugar were in vogue.

For the sake of "brown gold" fierce wars were fought. In 1520, the Netherlands attacked one of the most important Portuguese colonies - Brazil and destroyed all sugar cane plantations. So they dealt with their main competitor: after all, “honey cane” was also grown on the island of Java, which belonged to the Netherlands. In the XVII - XVIII centuries. a number of Spanish colonies that supplied sugar to Europe were taken from the weakened power. The islands of Barbados and Jamaica went to England, while Martinique and Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic) went to France.

After the decline of the Spanish Empire, Great Britain became the main supplier of sugar to the world market. The British made it fashionable to sweeten tea with sugar.

in continental Europe in the eighteenth century. sugar was consumed in moderation. Other sovereigns were still trying to find a replacement for overseas sweets. Thus, the famous Prussian monarch Frederick the Great (1712 - 1786), sparing money on importing sugar, cherished the hope that the German land could also give birth to honey plants. He commissioned the chemist Andreas Marggraf (1709 - 1782) to find "a breadwinner in his own country". In 1747, the scientist's attention was drawn to beet roots, where he discovered sugar crystals. However, only half a century later, Marggraf's student, Franz-Karl Arhad (1753 - 1821), managed to breed beets with a high sugar content and developed a method for extracting valuable raw materials from them. The news of "German sugar" quickly reached London and caused a stir among the dealers in sweet luxury. Arkhad was soon offered 50,000 thalers on the condition that he curtail his production. However, he refused even the 200,000 thalers offered to him in the end.

At the end of the nineteenth century. the time of the monopoly on sugar is irrevocably over. It has become a public commodity. The era of affordable white beet sugar has arrived. However, brown sugar has not completely disappeared, it has become a special elite product, and an integral part of secular tea parties.

The appearance of sugar in Russia was first mentioned in the annals of the 13th century. Before that, our ancestors delighted their lives with other means: honey, sweet sap of maple, linden, birch. They even managed to make marshmallows from these products. However, in those days, there was nothing special to use sugar with: our ancestors did not know coffee or cocoa, and they drank tea only from the infusion of various herbs. Sometimes pieces of sweet white beets, which grow in almost every garden, were added there.

You can find any sugar in the store now. And instant, and candy, and such that only with tea in a bite. Both white and brown... You can't cook porridge with brown, by the way. Very expensive ... But coffee or tea is another matter. The aroma of brown sugar promises to set off the taste of any drink ... Which sugar is still sweeter, healthier and how much can you eat?

Why is brown so expensive?

Brown sugar is not produced in Russia. It is imported from Sweden and England. Sugar cane does not grow there either, but there are production facilities for the processing of raw sugar.

This long transcontinental journey - from a cane plantation in Brazil to a Russian stall - explains the high price of brown sugar only in part. main reason, according to manufacturers, is an expensive development. and small production volumes.

Sugar cane is processed freshly cut, within a day, which makes it possible to preserve natural microelements and even vitamins in sugar. The manufacturer writes on the boxes: "Organic brown sugar." And goes to every lover healthy lifestyle life is not in the eyebrow, but in the eye.

Yet fashion - that's what dictates the high price in fact. Fashion goods are always sold and bought more expensive.

Is unrefined healthier than refined?

In fact, people have been eating brown sugar since antiquity. The darker the sugar, the more organic impurities from the juice of the plant. The whiter - the more thoroughly the sugar is refined.

It's like with vegetable oil. About 20 years ago, everyone sacredly believed in the benefits of refined oil. It’s more useful to fry on it - it doesn’t smoke in a frying pan, it doesn’t poison with carcinogens, there is no smell. But today, unrefined oil is already in fashion. Only in it the most valuable biologically active substances are preserved.

So it is with sugar. 150 years ago, the Dutch ambassador begged the Russian emperor to reduce duties on brown sugar imported from the Dutch colonies, since the Russians did not want to buy such sugar, and even at exorbitant prices. But they willingly took white granulated sugar imported from Cuba. White sugar is the sweetest, the purest! - was out of competition.

Today, brown cane sugar from the Dutch colonies would sell with a bang. Brown - means not purified from the so-called black molasses. Yesterday, molasses was considered a waste of sugar production and was used to produce rum. Today we realized that black molasses is awfully useful, because it contains a lot of trace elements: potassium, calcium, iron ...

Such is the paradox. They have been killed for centuries to achieve the whiteness of sugar. But it turned out that the horse was not fed. A refined product is always less useful than one that is closer to nature, more natural.

What are the benefits of beet sugar?

Against the background of foreign brown sugar, white sugar obtained from beets has its own advantages.

Firstly, it also contains microelements, it's just that we somehow don't usually declare this on the label. There are not as many of them as in cane sugar, but still there.

Secondly, sugar beet production also has molasses in its waste. It has traditionally been used in the production of alcohol and for livestock feed - as a valuable nutrient. Still would! Indeed, in addition to sugar, beet juice contains pectins, proteins, useful organic acids - oxalic, malic, citric, as well as potassium, sodium, magnesium, cesium, iron ...

However, beet sugar producers are somewhat behind the times. More precisely, from fashion. Remember, brown sugar was often sold in the Soviet era? If the factories could not cope with the production of first-class white sand- at 84 kopecks per kilogram, second-rate yellow sand went on sale - at 78 kopecks.

Today, that yellow sugar would be much more expensive as a rich source of organic matter.

How much sugar should you eat?

Sugar is needed by the body for normal metabolism. It provides living cells with energy.

One hundred years ago, the British were the champions in sugar consumption - 40 kg per capita per year. A resident of Russia at that time ate only 5 kilograms, and an Italian even less - 2.7 kg.

Since then, sugar consumption in the world has been steadily increasing. And today, the World Health Organization considers the norm of sugar consumption - harmless to health - 38 kg per person per year. Russian nutritionists recommend 30-35 kg. True, the most strict advocates of organic nutrition - nowhere is healthier! - insist on a minimum: 2 kg of pure refined sugar per year - and no more. Radicals believe that this is quite enough for the normal functioning of the brain. It is better not to argue with the radicals, but decide for yourself how much there is.

Napoleon was the godfather of sugar

Cane sugar appeared long ago, at the turn of the first and second millennia. And sugar began to be made from beets only a century and a half ago.

Napoleon I is considered the godfather of beet sugar. It was like this. Constantly at war with England, the French emperor decided to put another stick in the enemy's wheel - to create competition for the goods that the British imported to Europe from their colonies.

They remembered the report of the Berlin academician Andreas Margraf, in which the scientist casually mentioned the possibility of extracting sugar from beet roots. Connected their scientists. And soon beet-sugar factories began to grow like mushrooms all over France. Napoleon did not skimp on bonuses and free distribution of land for construction.

The Germans followed. So the two powers - France and Germany - remain the most "sugar-beet" in Europe until now. But offended England to this day does not have sugar beet production, buying sugar in other countries.

What can replace sugar?

Ever since humanity has been fascinated by the fight against obesity and artificial sweeteners have been included in food, disputes about whether they are harmful to health or not have not stopped.

This also applies to aspartame, the most common artificial sweetener today. In most countries, it is declared a safe food supplement, but scientists are far from final clarity. Supporters and opponents, with varying degrees of success, produce arguments "for" (there is no caries from aspartame!) and "against" (it is impossible to get a healthy organic product by chemical synthesis!). Meanwhile, it is becoming more and more difficult to get away from aspartame: juices, sweet carbonated drinks, marshmallows, yoghurts, chewing gum - manufacturers add aspartame everywhere.

The food industry also uses xylitol instead of sugar. The presence of artificial substitutes in the product can be recognized by the consumer by the attractive warning: "Manufactured without sugar."

By the way, if we talk about how to replace sugar, do not forget about honey. This natural sweetener is more diverse and valuable in composition - glucose, fructose, organic and mineral substances.

Fashionable products have been squeezed out: unrefined and underrefined cane sugar, caramelized crystals, etc. As a result, sugar in stores is offered at prices ranging from 40 to 300 rubles. for packing. Is it worth paying that kind of money for it?

twin brothers

About 30% of sugar in the world, according to the Union of Sugar Producers of Russia, is made from sugar beets. It is grown in Russia and Ukraine, as well as in European countries. The remaining 70% is cane sugar, which grows only in the tropics and subtropics (the leaders in production are Brazil, India, Cuba, Mauritius, and Thailand). Both sugars can be refined and. “If the sugar is white, refined, it doesn’t matter what plant - beets or cane - it was obtained from, it contains 99.9% pure sucrose,” said AiF. Marina Moiseyak, Associate Professor, Department of Technology of Sugar, Subtropical and Food Flavoring Products, MGUPP. Today, many claim that white sugar is dangerous due to its strong chemical cleaning. According to the expert, surfactants are indeed used in the manufacture of sugar - active detergents, but in order to avoid them in the finished product, the sugar is spun in a centrifuge and washed with clean artesian water.

Brown...poison

People leading a healthy lifestyle are switching to brown unrefined sugar. It is believed that it has fewer calories (377 kcal - versus 387 kcal of regular sugar), and it is also less likely that it was "washed" with chemistry. In addition, it takes longer to be absorbed by the body. “In fact, the fact that cane brown sugar is better than white is a myth, invented by manufacturers and marketers - I'm sure Aleksey Kovalkov, dietitian, specialist in proper nutrition. - Moreover, such sugar can be more dangerous than refined sugar. It is transported by ships from the countries of Latin America and Asia, and so that rodents do not spoil it, poison is laid between the bags. Sugar, having an excellent ability to absorb moisture, absorbs part of the poisons together with moisture from the air. Often in unrefined cane sugar, dangerous trace elements go off scale!

According to him, the benefits of molasses - dark brown molasses, which is condensed cane juice - are greatly exaggerated. Yes, it contains phosphorus, calcium, iron, provitamins and amino acids, but... no more than in a glass of water! To get a daily allowance useful substances, you need to eat 1-2 kg of sugar. The harm will be much greater than the benefit. It is better to drink vitamins in a tablet.

Expensive and fashionable

There is one more reason to think before buying expensive brown sugar. A year ago, "AiF" together with the Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights "Public Control". Without exception, all samples turned out to be cheap refined sugar, painted brown! "Refined sugar was covered with a thin film of molasses, it is not illegal, although dishonest, - explained Marina Tsirenina, expert who conducted the tests. “Less conscientious producers can color refined sugar with artificial sugar color.” At that time, almost all the producers of pseudo-cane sugar called the editorial office, lamenting that they had been slandered. But no one dared to go to court and prove the opposite.

By the way, in production, unrefined cane sugar is cheaper than refined. So the marketers who made the whole world buy it at exorbitant prices get a solid five for their work! Remember the yellowish beet sugar sold in Soviet time. It was cheaper than snow-white refined sugar and was considered a second-rate product. But this is, in fact, the same thing - sugar not refined from molasses.

Like caramel

Another sweet novelty is caramelized sugar, which is sold in the form of attractive crystals. Often on a stick. This is convenient to dissolve in a cup or use as a candy. But these crystals are made from molten high temperature... the same refined sugar.

And often such sugar has an unpleasant bonus: when heated for a long time, hydroxymethylfurfural, a toxic mutagen, can form in it.

“Any sugar, regardless of the raw materials from which it is produced, in large quantities is a poison that causes addiction,” sums up A. Kovalkov. - Today, without noticing, we eat half a kilo of sugar a day - with fruits, pastries, ketchup, soups and cereals, because sugar is put almost everywhere. In the entire history of mankind, people have never consumed so much sugar! 5-6 years of such a sweet life - and diabetes is guaranteed.

If you really can’t do without sugar, you can buy simple granulated sugar (how to choose it - see infographic) - it is the cheapest, but far from the worst.

What to replace?

Jerusalem artichoke syrup. Sweet pomace from the root crop, which grows in Russia as well, is suitable for adding to any dishes. Instead of sucrose, it contains fructose. Approved for diabetics. From 200 rub. for 500 g.

■ Maple syrup. Famous Canadian sweet. They can sweeten anything you cook. From 350 rub. for 500 g.

■ Agave nectar. In Russia, this cactus does not grow, so the nectar is expensive - from 500 rubles. for 500 g.

■ Stevia leaves. Natural sweetener - a special aster native to South America. Powdered leaves are 10 times sweeter than sugar, but have an aftertaste. From 1 thousand rubles. per 1 kg

How to choose sugar?

Unrefined cane sugar

Look for the word “unrefined” on the packaging, not “dark”, “golden” or “brown”, which do not mean anything.

The type of cane sugar must be indicated on the package. For example: demerara (golden-brown large crystals), muscovado (large crystals, dark brown), turbinado (partially refined in the turbine, golden yellow), black barbados (sticky, almost black).

Brown sugar has a strong specific aroma of exotic juice.

It has crystals of different sizes, the same crystals indicate that it has been processed.

Cannot be as loose as refined sugar. Its crystals are sticky due to molasses, sugar is wet, sticks together in lumps that turn to stone in the air.

Dip the spoonful of raw sugar into the glass, but do not stir. If the sugar is dyed, the water will turn brownish or yellow. Good sugar will keep the color and the water will stay clear.

white granulated sugar

Prefer packaged at the enterprise, not in the store. Name major manufacturer gives hope that the purification technology was carried out correctly and there were no household chemicals left in the sugar.

According to GOST R 53396-2009, there are two categories: extra and first. For the consumer, there is no difference in them, but manufacturers must indicate the category.

In addition, the following data must be indicated on the package:

Raw materials (beet or raw cane sugar);

The nutritional value,

Year of manufacture and date of packaging.

If the packaging says that the sugar contains sulfur dioxide (perhaps needed for sugar refining) or GM products are used (sugar beet is often modified), it is hardly worth buying it.

White lumpy

It can be instant (dissolution time - up to 10 minutes) and strong (more than 10 minutes). This does not characterize the quality of sugar, but indicates how strongly the crystals are compressed into pieces.

The package of lump sugar must contain the same data as on a pack of granulated sugar.

Powdered sugar

Don't buy it, better make it yourself. The fact is that the composition of the powder always contains anti-caking agents: corn starch, tricalcium phosphate, magnesium carbonate, silicon dioxide, calcium silicate, magnesium trisilicate, sodium aluminosilicate or calcium aluminosilicate. Without them, the powder will clump during storage.

Infographics by Yana Laikova

Very often today in the grocery departments of grocery stores, both large and very small, you can see not only beet sugar, which is familiar to us, but also the rarer cane sugar. Which one is better to choose and why the price for them differs quite noticeably? Do these species differ in some way or “sugar is also sugar in Africa”? Let's try to figure it out.

Cane sugar – food product made from cane.
Beetroot (beetroot) sugar- a food product made from a special variety of beets.

Comparison of cane and beet sugar

What is the difference between cane and beet sugar? The question is not entirely correct. If you put it in this way, then the answer will be: nothing. Having passed the maximum purification from impurities, refined cane sugar, like refined beet sugar, has a pure White color, absolutely the same taste and composition and does not differ at all from one another. It is this sugar that is mainly present in the diet of millions of families every day. It is possible to determine what kind of raw material served as the basis for this product only in a special laboratory, and even then the probability of success will not be too high, because both cane and beet refined sugar are approximately 99.9% composed of a substance called sucrose (which in colloquially referred to as sugar). That is, they are simply identical.
If we are talking about an unrefined product, then the difference is present, and very noticeable. Let's start with the fact that the production of cane sugar is a more ancient invention of mankind, it was known even before our era - in China, India, Egypt. Later, he was recognized in the Mediterranean countries, in America and, finally, in Russia, where in 1719, by decree of Peter I, the first plant was built to produce sugar from cane. But the world learned about beet sugar only in the 19th century - thanks to the research of German scientists A. Marggraf and F.K. Achard. In 1802, an enterprise for the production of refined sugar was opened in Germany.
In its unrefined form, beet sugar is not very edible, since the original product - raw, obtained after boiling the plant's juice, has bad smell and specific taste. On the other hand, unrefined cane sugar is highly valued for its beautiful brownish color and pleasant caramel flavor. The brownish color of cane sugar is due to the admixture of molasses - a black syrupy molasses that envelops the crystals of the product. It contains a whole range of trace elements useful for human health, such as calcium, potassium, iron, chromium, copper, sodium, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as B vitamins and plant fibers. In purified beet sugar, these substances are either not present at all, or they are present in microscopic doses. But do not think that cane sugar is just an ideal low-calorie dietary product and consume it in excess. Indeed, in fact, brown sweets even have slightly more calories than white refined sugar: 413 versus 409 per 100 grams. It is believed that due to the savory taste of molasses, cane sugar is great for making desserts and pastries. It also perfectly sets off the taste of tea and coffee.
Interestingly, a ton of cane produces more finished raw materials than sugar beets. Therefore, such a high price (2-3 times more than for the “usual” sugar for us) price for brown unrefined sweetness is not entirely justified. Maybe it's a matter of fashion healthy eating and positioning cane sugar as an exceptionally healthy product.

TheDifference.ru determined that the difference between cane sugar and beet sugar is as follows:

Refined cane sugar is almost no different from refined beet sugar. But if we talk about unrefined cane sugar, then there is a difference, and very noticeable.
Cane sugar is brown, beet sugar is white.
Thanks to molasses called molasses, cane sugar contains many trace elements and B vitamins, which are practically absent in beet sugar.
Cane sugar is more ancient: it was known to mankind even before our era, while beetroot began to be produced only in the 19th century.
Cane sugar is edible both in refined and unrefined form, and beet sugar is exclusively refined.
Cane sugar is more expensive than beet sugar.
Cane sugar is slightly higher in calories than beet sugar.
Cane sugar has a more intense aroma and flavor than beet sugar.

On store shelves you can find the so-called brown, the cost of which is much higher than the usual price. Sometimes you have to hear that it is much more useful than the usual refined one, and does less harm to the figure and health. Is it so? And if you already buy an expensive product, then how to choose it from several varieties?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), amount of sugar per day for the body should not exceed 10 percent of the daily diet. In other words, amount of sugar per day for a man is not more than 60 g and not more than 50 g for women. It seems to us that we do not consume so much sugar - we put only a couple of spoons in tea or coffee. Well, in extreme cases - cakes and sweets at a party or on holidays, ice cream while walking ... But at the same time, we forget that sugar is found in a variety of products - canned food, marinades, juices, sauces, soda and, finally , in sweet fruits! And I want something sweet! Can brown sugar help in this situation?

Let's figure it out first How is brown sugar different from regular white sugar?. White sugar, whether it comes from cane or beet sugar, is refined sugar. Brown is sugar, so to speak, "primary", unprocessed. By the way, unrefined beet sugar not available for sale: it has too unattractive taste and aroma. Therefore, the brown sugar that lies on the shelves of supermarkets is cane sugar.

What is good about cane sugar?

and why is it worth so expensive? In a sense, this is the merit of a healthy lifestyle. After all, we often hear that refined products are harmful, and natural, unprocessed products are much more useful. How about really?

Doctors examined the composition of white refined and brown cane sugar and came to the conclusion that these products practically do not differ in calorie content.

It will not be possible to avoid obesity and atherosclerosis by consuming exclusively cane sugar, since both types of sugar contain the same amount of carbohydrates.

But in terms of the amount of minerals- calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc - brown sugar is far superior to white. It also contains much more B vitamins. So the only real health benefit of cane sugar is its enriched mineral and vitamin composition. But if you are afraid of gaining weight, it is better to give up sweets altogether!

And yet, brown sugar justifies its high price with its unusual taste and aroma. It is they who prefer to sweeten tea or coffee by Europeans: in Europe it is even called tea.

If you decide to try cane sugar, remember that there are several varieties of it on sale, and not always you are offered a natural product. Sometimes a brown tint is achieved through dyes and manufacturing subtleties, and under the guise of brown, you buy the most common refined sugar, only in a different color. Natural brown sugar gets its color, taste and smell thanks to sugar syrup - molasses.

Cane sugar. Kinds

So, cane sugar is of the following types:

Sugar Demerara- a product of golden-brown color. It can be either natural or refined white sugar, simply mixed with molasses. Therefore, you should carefully read what is written on the label.

Sugar Muscovado- natural sugar, but it is produced with different amount molasses. The more molasses in sugar, the darker its color. Sugar is sticky and gives off a caramel flavor.

Sugar Turbinado- you can distinguish it by large crystals, the color of which is from to brown. In the production of this sugar, it is partially purified from molasses with the help of steam and water.

Soft molasses sugar, which is also called black barbadian- is unrefined raw cane sugar with large quantity molasses. It is soft and moist to the touch, due to the abundance of molasses it has a very dark shade and a strong aroma.

In our stores, cane sugar of the Demerara variety is most often found..

If you're concerned about the health benefits as well as the taste, make sure the label says "unrefined." Only in this case it makes sense to overpay for sweet joy.