Demerara sugar is a raw sugar that has been barely processed
and is ideal for sweetening drinks and pastries. It is a brown sugar with big,
crunchy granules.
What Exactly Is Demerara Sugar?
Demerara sugar is a kind of raw sugar made from sugarcane.
It has a golden-brown hue and huge grains that give it a crunchy feel since it
has been barely treated. Demerara sugar originated in the British colony of
Demerara, which is today known as Guyana. Demerara sugar is available at
supermarket shops. It may be used in baked products like sugar cookies, as a
natural sweetener in drinks, or as a crunchy topping for desserts like crème
brûlée.
Substitutes for Demerara Sugar
Any form of brown sugar, notably light brown sugar,
turbinado sugar, or muscovado sugar, in equal proportions, can be substituted
for demerara sugar. (If you use dark brown sugar, the molasses flavour will be
greater.) You may use granulated sugar instead, but the flavour and texture
will be different.
Demerara Sugar vs. White Sugar: What's the Difference?
Sugarcane sugars such as Demerara and white sugar (sometimes
known as refined sugar or granulated sugar) are manufactured from sugarcane
(though white sugar can also be made from sugar beets). Although both forms of
sugar have the same caloric and carbohydrate content, there are some major
differences:
Processing: Juicing and boiling sugarcane juice until it
thickens and crystalizes is how white sugar is derived from sugarcane. The
sugar is next purified in a centrifuge to eliminate impurities, a process known
as refining. Because demerara sugar undergoes less refining than white sugar,
it includes a tiny percentage of natural molasses.
Color: Because of the molasses concentration, Demerara sugar
is naturally golden brown. Granulated sugar is white because all of the
molasses has been removed (brown sugar is created by adding molasses back into
granulated sugar).
Sugar crystals: Demerara sugar has bigger crystals than
white sugar and finer granules than caster sugar or powdered sugar, but not as
fine as caster sugar or powdered sugar.
Flavor: Demerara sugar offers molasses and toffee tastes
with a hint of caramel. White sugar has a sweeter, more neutral flavour.
Nutrients: Because of its limited processing, Demerara sugar
may include more minerals present in sugarcane, such as calcium, potassium,
magnesium, and vitamins B3.
Sucrose: White sugar is entirely composed of
sucrose, a fructose and glucose molecule. Sucrose is present in Demerara sugar,
but it also includes vitamins and minerals.
