What's the Difference? Muscovado, Demerara, & Turbinado

If you think sugar is just sweet, think again. Sugars like muscovado, demerara, and turbinado have flavor depths and aromatic heights that blow plain ol' granulated sugar out of the water.

While most of these sugars are classified as "raw," they're still typically refined to some extent in order to be used in cooking. Look for them in the natural foods section at your grocery store or in the baking section at natural foods markets. Also, keep your eyes open when traveling abroad. Other countries often have interesting kinds of sugars that we can't find here in the USA.

• Demerara - This is a type of cane sugar with a fairly large grain and a pale amber color. It has a pleasant toffee flavor and can be used in place of brown sugar.

• Sucanat - Made from crystallized pure cane sugar, this truly unrefined sugar retains a higher proportion of molasses than other types of cane sugars. It has an intense, rather burnt taste that can be jarring in lighter baking recipes but is fantastic in things like spice cakes and ginger cookies.

• Muscovado - Another cane sugar, this one has a very moist texture and a strong molasses flavor. It can be found in different strengths, as you can see visually in the image above and read about here. It's excellent in savory dishes like barbecue sauces and marinades.

• Jaggery - This sugar is typically made from palm, coconut, or java plants and comes compressed into a pattycake or cone. It has an earthy sweet flavor that we like over oatmeal and in some fruit crumbles.

• Piloncilo - Similar to jaggery, this uniquely Mexican sugar is the secret ingredient in many salsas, soups, and mole sauces. It has a strong and almost-smoky molasses flavor.

• Turbinado - Less processed than brown sugar, turbinado is made from the first pressing of sugar cane and retains some natural molasses. It has a light caramel flavor that makes it a good replacement for regular white sugar.

Do you cook or bake with any of these sugars?

(Image: Dana Velden)

Comments (7)

Because I cut back on the amount of sugar in most cookie recipes these days, I sprinkle demarara on top of many types of cookies. It gives a sweet splash with minimal impact. Plus, it provides a pleasant visual impression.

When I worked in a posh pub in the UK, we made a dessert called Flummery which was pretty much whipped cream/yogurt, raspberries and muscovado sugar with an amaretto biscuit at the bottom. It remains my favourite dessert in the summertime and is usually a showstopper when I bring it for treat day at work.

But here in the states - or at least in my town in Nebraska - I can't find muscovado to save my life. So I use the darkest brown sugar I can find but it's never quite the same *wistful sigh*

Jaggery is not always made from palm or coconut. In fact jaggery that is most commonly used is from cane sugar.

@EmmaC -- I love all these sugars and your breakdown of them is wonderful...this is why you are my favorite!!

@Melia -- flummery is a pretty traditional dessert and not at all posh but your version sounds excellent! BTW even if you don't have a fancy foods store in your town that stocks muscovado, I always see Billington's muscovado at SuperTargets and sporadically spot India Tree muscovado at TJ Maxx/Homeplace/Marshalls. And of course, Amazon carries both items.

There's a nice review of French sugars from David Lebovitz. It includes Sucre vergeoise and Cassonade:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/11/french-sugars/

It's worth pointing out that not all of these are always what they claim to be. Sometimes rather than being less refined they may actually be made from refined sugar which is then coloured with a darker sugar syrup. This is how vergeoise, which is popular in northern France and Belgium, is made. Cassonade, another French sugar, is the real thing and is genuinely less refined.

You didn't mention palm sugar, as used in Thai cookery. It's similar to jaggery, but that is often made with cane sugar, sometimes with the addition of some palm sugar.