Muscovado Sugar
Muscovado sugar takes its name from the
spanish 'mascabado' (meaning unrefined).
Also known as Barbados sugar. This sugar
is pure, wholesome, unrefined, natural cane
sugar. It is also called 'poor man's sugar'.
Muscovado sugar retains all of the natural
ingredients of sugar cane, making it wholesome
and healthy. High in nutitional value, comparable
even to pure honey. Muscovado sugar is unrefined,
with a high mineral content. Common in South
America and south east Asia, but comparably
more difficult to find in the USA.
Usage
It is used just like normal sugar. Excellent
for baking, cooking, and as a coffee/tea
sweetener.
Production Process
The production process is very traditional.
The main ingredient is natural cane sugar,
but some of the other ingredients are small
lime (called kalamansi or calamondin, often
described as a cross between a mandarin
orange and a kumquat) and fresh coconut
milk. The coconut milk is used in the heating
process to prevent the sugar cane juice
from foaming.
The heating process evaporates the water
content and the cane juice will gradually
thicken into a gooey liquid. This liquid
is sun-dried. The hardened sugar will then
be pounded to produce the natural, unrefined
muscovado sugar.
Nutrient value
Compared to normal white sugar, muscovado
sugar retains all the cane sugar nutrients.
High in minerals:
potassium,
calcium,
iron,
it has more health benefits compared to
normal white sugar, which has zero nutrients,
as the refining process to produce white
sugar has practically eliminated all traces
of nutrients from it.
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