Browner Sugar

Something has been bugging me about brown sugar.

When I was a kid, I could swear it was browner. Much browner. And it had lumps which would grow with time as humidity entered the wrapping, forming little candy-like bursts of sweetness. Was it my imagination? Or maybe the manufacturers have changed formulation. Maybe tastes have changed. Maybe it's a difference between the east cost brand, Domino's, that was common where I grew up, compared to the west coast brands. I even tried different brands (one "organic" brand at Whole Foods was a little browner but not what I remember.)

The difference between white sugar and brown sugar is molasses. Sugar cane syrup is deep brown until it is refined to extract molasses from the white sugar. Brown sugar used to be partially refined sugar cane syrup but now, the manufacturers mix some molasses back into the white sugar to make brown sugar. This method gives better process control and flexible inventory. 

Last week, I saw something new at Cosentino's (a local grocery store). "Dark Muscavado." Also known as Barbados sugar, it looked a lot like the brown sugar I remembered. I had to know, so it came home with me. 

 
I compared it to the "Golden Brown" and so-called "Dark Brown" sugar I had. I was surprised to see how close the two products are:

At the top is the dark muscavado. Below it are C&H dark brown on the left, and C&H golden brown on the right. 

But the proof is, as always, in the tasting.

The muscavado was just what I remembered! Deep in color and flavor, very moist, prone to lumps from moisture. I used it in oatmeal and it was perfect, adding a depth of flavor that made the others pale by comparison (literally).

Locally, I have since seen at Lucky markets. 

You can do it yourself: 1.5 teaspoons of unsulphured molasses per cup of white sugar for light, 1 tablespoon (that's 3 teaspoons) per cup for dark. Adjust to suit your preference.

The mystery of the brown sugar of my youth remains. Maybe East Coast readers will look at their sugar and report. Perhaps we will never know. 

Perhaps I was secretly raised in Barbados. 

Comments

[Stacey]

What a great insight! Now the critical question - can you recommend places where people can purchase the real brown sugar, i.e. Muscavado ?

[Moe Rubenzahl]

Good question, Stacey. I edited the posting to include where I got it. I got it at Cosentino's, a grocery store in the South Bay. I am going to guess you can find it at better stores, such as Andronico's, Draeger's, or at stores that carry international items. Whole Foods is likely.

A friend commented on the Facebook posting that he mixes his own. That's a great idea. "1.5 tsp molasses per cup of white sugar for light, 3 tsp per cup for dark."

By the way, this stuff is so good that I'll confess to eating some of it out of the jar I keep it in. Not like eating sugar at all.

[Kathy]

Hmmm....must be good since you never mentioned to me that you got it! But now I know - you're a sugar hoarder!

[Kathy]

You can also get it at Amazon.com (naturally)

http://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Dark-Muscovado-Mauritius-ChefShop/dp/B000VA3GLE

[Carolyn Jung]

I bet this would be divine when baking toffee cookies or spice cakes. Mmm. Think this calls for a drive to Cosentino's.

[Jessica]

I've never tried the muscovado, but now you've intrigued me. I've got to try it out and see just how much of a difference it makes.

[Matthew Stewart]

It's kinda crazy that it has to come from far off the coast of Africa.