Sucanat and Rapadura--UPDATED 7/29/09

I recently walked down the sweetener isle of Whole Foods to pick up some real sugar and something very interesting caught my eye. Rapadura, an unrefined sugar made by Rapunzel, had changed it's name and lowered their price. Very interesting.


Once known as Rapadura, now this delicious molasses rich sugar is called (drum roll....) "Organic Whole Cane Sugar".


Why would a product change their name?? My guess is that someone in marketing said to get a name that's understandable to the general public.



Here it is, the face of the new Rapadura...err...I mean Organic Whole Cane Sugar.







The picture below could be either Sucanat or Rapadura, they look the same. Both are very basic forms of sugar, molasses still intact. There is some debate over which is better or most pure. Rapadura fans claim that Rapadura is the one and only, and Sucanat fans claim they are the same. I don't see a huge difference in taste and either are better choice than artificial sweeteners. Remember that real sugar, like Rapadura and Sucanat, only contains 15 calories per teaspoon. That's not very much at all, so scrap the Splenda and head for the real stuff!



Sally Fallon writes in Nourishing Traditions that Rapadura is a dehydrated cane juice that has been used by the people in India for thousands of years. She prefers Rapadura (or Organic Whole Cane Sugar) over the use of Sucanat.



I encourage you to replace any refined sugar, or articifial sweeteners, that sit in your cupboard with either of these very natural forms. They can be used 1:1 in recipes that call for sugar.

Actually, I would encourage you to not eat any added sugar....but we all know that is impossible.




Fair Trade Certified Organic Sucanat

Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Sucanat® (which stands for Sugar Cane Natural), is a whole cane sugar. It's made by simply crushing freshly cut sugar cane, extracting the juice and heating it in a large vat. Once the juice is reduced to a rich, dark syrup, it is hand-paddled. Hand paddling cools and dries the syrup, creating the dry porous granules we call Sucanat. Nothing is added and nothing is taken out!

Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Sucanat is made from 100% certified organic sugar cane grown in Costa Rica. Because Sucanat still contains all of the cane's natural molasses, it's a deep brown color and has a distinct natural molasses flavor that enhances many foods. It can be substituted for sugar in any recipe and it is especially good in chocolate-based recipes, for baking and for BBQ sauces and marinades. It is an excellent source of iron, calcium, vitamin B6, potassium and chromium, which helps balance blood sugar.

The Fair Trade Certified logo is Wholesome's guarantee that our farmers' cooperatives are paid directly for the cane grown and milled. This means that the farmers can compete with factory farms, cultivate the quality of their crops, send their kids to school and build thriving communities.


Rapadura

Rapadura captures the sweet essence of sugar cane-organically. Harvested in Brazil and through the Hand in Hand™ fair trade program, Rapadura is an unrefined sugar prized for its unique caramel flavor and fine grain texture. This deliciously pure sugar retains a beautiful golden color and offers unmatched nutritional value because-unlike other sugars-it is not separated from the molasses stream during squeeze-dried processing. You can truly taste the difference of Rapadura whole organic sugar.


This post is part of Real Food Wednesday. And Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday.