*Table sugar is the white crystalline sweetener that comes mainly from sugar cane. Table sugar is also produced from sugar beet in some countries.

*Chemically it is sucrose, a disaccharide of glucose and fructose units.

*It is used in the preparation of a variety of foods in baking, fruit juices, soft drinks, cordials, sweets, snacks and many more.

*The sugar canes are crushed and mashed to extract the juice. This juice is then boiled to evaporate and concentrate when sugar is crystallized. The remaining liquid is called molasses. It is again boiled to crystallize the sugar. The sugar thus obtained is light brown or yellow in color and is called raw sugar.

*This raw sugar is treated with chemical to refine and make it white.

*This refined sugar is available in different forms –

1. Coarse grained sugar – Also called sanding sugar or pearl sugar, it is used for decorating the baked products.

2. Granulated sugar – The granules are smaller than the coarse grained variety but larger than caster sugar, and is commonly used for table use.

3. Caster (or Castor) sugar – Very fine sugar, commonly used in baking as it dissolves easily.

4. Powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar or icing sugar – This is produced by grinding sugar to a fine powder and mixing in a small amount of anti-caking agent to prevent clumping. It is used in the preparation of icing on cakes.

5. Sugar cubes – This produced by mixing powdered sugar with sugar syrup and making into cubes for easier consumption.

*Buying and storage: Select good quality sugar and store it in airtight containers. Exposing to air and humidity can make sugar clumpy.

Is it raw?

No, White sugar or granulated sugar is refined using chemicals. Make sure you read the label.

Health Benefits

1. Chemically, table sugar is sucrose, a disaccharide of glucose and fructose.

2. It may cause sudden spike of blood sugar levels, so diabetics have to be cautious and use this in moderation.

3. High consumption of sugar can lead to tooth decay, diabetes, obesity, and other related conditions.