I must be honest, I don’t have a sweet tooth and I really don’t like baking – so I have never really cared about sugar. One is brown and one is white, they obviously taste quite different, but whatevs. Who cares? Well, Natura Sugars do. And rightfully so, because since I spoke with them just after their launch in South Africa, my eyes have truly been opened to the world of sugar. My “who cares?” has become “Who knew!?”
NATURA SUGARS is made from ripe sugarcane cultivated in Mauritius. It is unrefined and unprocessed, which means that it isn’t broken down by harmful bleaches and such, and is 100% free from genetic modification. So it actually tastes like sugar! NATURA SUGARS is a new brand, started by Shaheen Rajabally. While Unrefined Sugars are readily available in Europe, this is a first for South Africa.
The sugarcane is washed and crushed to extract the cane juice, which is then clarified to remove any bits. This clear juice is evaporated into a thick syrup, which is then crystallised and separated. Depending on how much molasses was left behind around the crystals, you get a varied range of sugars of different textures and colours. This type of sugar is created to lock in, not refine out, the natural molasses.
Their sugars are like wine. You specifically select each sugar with whatever the end dish will be, like a wine and meal pairing! Each has a unique purpose that will bring the flavour of the food and the sugar to life!
So you don’t foget what’s what, each of the 500g packets communicate what each sugar should be used for, the flavour strength and consistency. And because of the natural process, the sugar is sweeter than what you’re used to, so a little goes a long way. You may think that 500g is too little, because you’re used to buying 2kg or even 5kg bags of sugar at a time, but rather than one bag that goes to everything, here you have smaller bags that you use depending on your needs.
So what kinda variety are we talking here?
Natura Sugars a South African First
LIGHT BODY
MEDIUM BODY
FULL BODY
NATURA SUGARS are sold in selected SPAR and Shoprite Checkers stores nationwide, and cost somewhere between R30 – R38 for the 500g packets and around R22 for a 250g packet of Demerara Icing Sugar. You can also find them online at www.naturasugars.co.za
Competition
If you wanna get your hands on some sweetness (this isn’t a question, you do), then you’re in luck! Our friends at Natura Sugars have given us a hamper of 7 varieties of Mauritian sugar worth R300. All ya gotta do is:
Like Natura Sugar on Facebook. Yup, that’s it.
For an extra entry you can also tweet the following: “Hey @FoodblogCT, I wanna win a R300 hamper from Natura Sugars! http://www.food-blog.co.za/?p=44046”
T&Cs apply.
