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Sugar
Also called white sugar, caster sugar
Crystalline sucrose from sugarcane or sugar beet. Granulated, caster and icing sugars are the same molecule in different sizes; brown sugars keep molasses; palm sugar is a related sweetener.
Origin
Sugarcane was first refined in South and Southeast Asia, then in the Islamic world and the Caribbean. Beet sugar is a European industrial crop. Both now sit in the same bag.
Flavour
White sugar tastes clean and loud. Caster dissolves faster. Light brown is caramel-soft; muscovado tastes of treacle.
How it is made
Cane juice or beet extract is clarified, boiled and crystallised. White sugar is washed of molasses; caster is milled finer; icing sugar is powdered, often with a little starch.
How to use it
Use sugar as a balancer, not only as dessert. A pinch rounds chilli and vinegar in adobo, tteokbokki and many braises. In yeast doughs it feeds fermentation and browning. Caster dissolves in cold liquids and egg foams; granulated can stay gritty in a mousse. For caramel, melt without stirring once liquid, and stop it off the heat — water into molten sugar spatters. Weigh it for baking.
Storage
Airtight, dry. Brown sugar hardens when it dries — a slice of apple softens it.
Recipes using it
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