Brown sugar, not to mention food, but it is inseparable from the daily diet of Chinese. However, with this little brown sugar, there are still fakes on the market!
What exactly is this "fake brown sugar" made of? Is it harmful to the human body?
Reveal the secret of real and fake brown sugar
The history of eating brown sugar in mainland China can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. At that time, sucrose was a viscous semi-solid form by exposing sugarcane juice to the sun, and it was not really brown sugar, but only the prototype of brown sugar.
In the Tang Dynasty, Tang Taizong sent envoys to India to learn the method of boiling sugar and improve the sugar making technique. During this period, sucrose (i.e., brown sugar) was already present in some parts of China and was lumpy and purplish-red.
However, the role of brown sugar in this period was different from that of now, mainly for medicinal purposes, such as relieving the poison of tobacco and alcohol, eliminating boils and other diseases.
With the expansion of sugarcane cultivation and the popularization of sugar production technology, the common people also learned this process, and the use also developed from medicinal to edible.
So historically, when we talk about serious brown sugar, it is to use sugarcane through a series of technological means to make brown-red or yellow-brown jaber, which is "real brown sugar".
There is another kind of sugar on the market, which is also red, but the composition is very different, this sugar is actually red sugar, which is what we call "fake brown sugar".
Although the raw material of red sugar is also sugar cane, it is the tail material left over from the production of white sugar, and these unbleached tail materials are dried to make red sugar.
Is fake brown sugar bad for people?
Red sugar is also edible, but there are still many differences compared to brown sugar.
The main raw material of real brown sugar is sugarcane, and in the whole processing process, no chemical reagents and food additives are added except lime, so it can completely retain the original flavor and nutrients of sugarcane.
True brown sugar contains about 95% sucrose, as well as a variety of nutrients such as malic acid, carotene, niacin, and trace elements.
Although the main ingredient of red sugar is also sucrose, some of the natural components of sugar cane are removed during processing, so it is low in minerals and vitamins compared to brown sugar. Some chemical components or pigments are also added during the production process to improve its color and taste.
Because some of the natural components of sugarcane are removed during the production process, the nutritional value of red sugar sugar is relatively low.
However, red sugar still contains a certain amount of sugar and calories, which can provide energy for the human body. However, it should be noted that due to the high sweetness of red sugar, excessive consumption may lead to problems such as elevated blood sugar and obesity.
So the choice of what sugar to eat is still based on individual needs. If you need to supplement with more minerals and vitamins, you can choose brown sugar; If you only need a simple sweetness, you can choose red sugar.
However, because of the high water content of brown sugar, it cannot be stored for a long time, and it can generally only be stored for about three months; The water content of red sugar is low, and the shelf life can even reach 18 months.
Why is there fake brown sugar
In fact, red sugar is called "fake brown sugar", and it can be regarded as an unjust case in some areas. For example, in many parts of northern China, red sugar is commonly referred to as brown sugar, and the common name of the two sugars has slowly misled consumers.
However, there are also some merchants who take advantage of this confusion of customs and names to deliberately sell red sugar as brown sugar.
Granulated sugar and brown sugar are very similar in appearance, both are brownish-red or yellow-brown grains, and both have a certain sweetness. This similarity makes it difficult for consumers to distinguish directly with the naked eye, providing an opportunity for merchants to impersonate.
Because the production process of brown sugar is relatively complex and requires more time and labor costs, its price is usually higher. As a by-product of white sugar, the cost of red sugar is relatively low. In order to pursue higher profits, merchants will choose to use lower cost red sugar to pass off as brown sugar.
Because of its unique taste and nutritional value, brown sugar is more sought after by consumers. However, the production of brown sugar is relatively small and cannot meet the needs of all consumers. This has led some businesses to see business opportunities and use red sugar to pass off as brown sugar to meet market demand.
Many times consumers do not understand the difference between brown sugar and red sugar, and they may simply judge it based on its appearance and taste. This lack of awareness makes it easier for merchants to pass off red sugar as brown sugar, but consumers are difficult to detect.
How should we distinguish between real and fake brown sugar
In order to avoid buying counterfeit brown sugar, we should choose to buy it from regular channels and carefully check the ingredient list and label of the product. At the same time, we should also enhance our understanding of brown sugar and red sugar, and understand the differences and characteristics between them.
Generally, the production standard of true brown sugar is usually QB/T 4561-2013, first of all, you can check the logo on the package when purchasing.
In terms of appearance, brown sugar has smaller grains, reddish-brown color, more impurities, and rough appearance; The red sugar has larger grains, reddish brown and red color, and looks relatively pure.
Observing the crystallization state, the crystalline particles of true brown sugar are of different sizes and shapes; Whereas, the crystallization of fake brown sugar is usually a regular cube or other geometric shape.
When touched by hand, true brown sugar may be powdery and easy to clump; Fake brown sugar, on the other hand, may be granular, divergent, and not easy to clump. We can also distinguish the real from the fake brown sugar by taking a little brown sugar and rubbing it in our hands to observe whether the color has faded. Real brown sugar usually doesn't fade, while fake brown sugar with added dye does.
Real brown sugar usually has a delicate scent of sugar cane, while fake brown sugar with added chemicals such as flavors may give off a pungent or synthetic fragrance.
When both kinds of sugar are soaked in water, although the color is red, the color of real brown sugar is darker. When true brown sugar is dissolved in water, it will form a relatively turbid liquid, and there may be a small amount of precipitation at the bottom; Fake brown sugar usually dissolves completely and is relatively clear.
Of course, the taste is also different, real brown sugar has a faint sweetness and slightly sour taste, and the aftertaste is long-lasting; Whereas, fake brown sugar is often too sweet and greasy, and it is accompanied by a pronounced taste of chemical additives.
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