Sugar cane comes from the group of sweet grasses. The plant serves as a raw material supplier for bio-ethanol and household sugar.
Here’s what you should know about sugarcane
Although it is often claimed, sugar from sugar cane is not healthier than sugar from beets. It has been subjected to numerous processing procedures and contains few original ingredients. Sugar cane grows mainly in subtropical and tropical climates. For good growth, the plant needs temperatures between 26 and 30 °C. At temperatures below 15 °C, the plant stops growing. The main sugar cane growing countries are Brazil, India and China. The sugar cane is planted via cuttings. Depending on seed spacing, 15,000-20,000 plants are planted per hectare. After about fourteen days, the cuttings sprout and form roots and culms. Sugarcane is a monocotyledonous plant. It resembles grass in appearance. The individual culms of sugarcane can reach a diameter of 20-45 mm. They have a diameter of about 30 mm and can grow up to 6 m high. The panicle-shaped flowers grow up to 50 cm long. The first harvest occurs nine months to two years after the first planting. The stalks of the sugarcane are cut by hand or with sugarcane harvesters just above the ground. Another crop can be cut from the remaining stumps after two months. In this way, a sugarcane field can be harvested about eight times. The individual sugar cane plants can live up to 22 years. Sugar cane was probably used as early as the fifth century BC. The origin of the plant is probably in the East Asian region. However, other possible areas of origin are New Guinea or China. Through trade relations, sugar cane reached the Middle East in the first century AD. In Roman antiquity, sugar cane was also used in medicine. Through the Arab expansion trains, sugar cane cultivation spread as far as Morocco and Sicily. Sugar did not come to Western Europe until the Crusades. Sugar cultivation in the conquered and occupied territories was controlled by the Crusaders. Venetian merchants then took over sales and brought sugar cane to Western Europe. Sugar was a luxury item at that time. It was difficult to process and expensive to grow. Thus, sugar was not affordable for ordinary citizens. This did not change until sugar could be extracted from the beet and sugar cane in the mid-18th century. Today, cane sugar can be offered on the world market at a much lower price than sugar from beets. However, since beet sugar was subsidized in the EU, cane sugar was unable to establish itself in Europe and also in Germany for a long time. Since the opening of the European market by the World Trade Organization, however, cane sugar has gained in importance.
Significance for health
Even though it is often claimed, sugar from sugar cane is not healthier than sugar from beets. Neither cane sugar nor whole cane sugar are whole sugars. They have been subjected to numerous processing steps and retain few original ingredients. Although some of the minerals are still present, the health benefits are still low. Molasses is significantly healthier. Molasses is a viscous, dark brown syrup that is a byproduct of sugar production. When the sugar is refined, the juice is produced as a waste product. When the sugar is first centrifuged, a fairly light-colored molasses remains. This still contains plenty of sugar crystals. Sugar can be extracted again from the light-colored molasses. A dark and syrupy juice remains. The more often this syrup is boiled out, the darker and firmer the molasses becomes. After only the third boiling, molasses contains virtually no sugar. However, the many minerals of the sugar cane are retained. Until the 18th century, molasses was sold exclusively by pharmacists. It was not used as a sweetener, but as a medicine. In many countries, the sugar mass was even considered a panacea and was used to treat cancer. Today, molasses is no longer used to treat cancer, but there are still indications. Molasses can be used as a cough syrup. It facilitates breathing and helps coughing. Molasses contains a lot of iron. As a source of iron, it is therefore particularly suitable for people with anemia.
Ingredients and nutritional values
Sugar cane is very low in calories. 100 g of sugar cane contain only 25 calories. Sugar is found in the pith of the sugar cane. This is predominantly sucrose. The cane sugar obtained by pressing, crystallization, and refining is no longer as low in calories as the sugar cane. 100 g of raw cane sugar contain about 397 calories. Whole cane sugar contains minerals such as iron, magnesium and calcium. It also contains B vitamins. The proportion of vitamins and minerals is no more than 5%. Sugar cane molasses contains significantly more minerals, vitamins and trace elements. In addition, sugar cane molasses has many secondary plant substances. Both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects are attributed to these. Due to its high sugar content, molasses is a good source of energy. Due to the considerable content of calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium, molasses is also suitable for athletes.
Intolerances and allergies
People with sucrose intolerance do not tolerate cane sugar. They experience stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence and nausea after eating sugar from cane. Strikingly often, those affected additionally show upper respiratory tract diseases and viral infections.
Shopping and kitchen tips
Supermarkets and health food stores offer different types of sugar. Cane sugar is partially refined sugar with some molasses attached. Whole cane sugar is gently processed sugar cane juice. However, white sugar can also be obtained from sugar cane. It is similar to sugar from the domestic sugar beet. Sugar is a very insensitive foodstuff. Nevertheless, some things should be taken into account during storage. Sugar should be transferred from its packaging into an airtight can. Only in this way is the sugar sufficiently protected from moisture. Moist sugar tends to form molds and yeasts. Since cane sugar can take on foreign odors, it should not be stored with foods that give off a strong odor. When stored properly, sugar will keep for several years.
Preparation tips
Sugar is found in many foods. For example, it can be found in jams, chocolate, cookies, salad dressings, pickles and ketchup. Sugar can not only sweeten, but also tone down acidity or soften bitter tastes. In jams, sugar is not only used as a sweetener, it also supports the shelf life of the products. Sugar is also more than just a sweetener in baking. It forms browning and flavoring substances and ensures that the dough becomes elastic and stable. Sugar also serves to stabilize protein-containing foods. Sugar from sugar beets can usually be replaced one-to-one by cane sugar. Sugar from sugar cane also plays a special role in the preparation of cocktails. For example, in addition to limes and rum, cane sugar is absolutely required to make caipirinha.
