amasake – a thick liquid obtained from the fermentation of sweet brown rice.
beet sugar – sugar (sucrose) from sugar beets.
barley malt – made from sprouted barley.
brown sugar – white sugar with molasses to give a soft texture.
cane sugar – sucrose from sugar cane.
castor or caster sugar – fine crystals of white granulated sugar. Dissolves readily.
concentrated fruit juice – made by heating a fruit juice to a high temperature so that the water content evaporates, leaving behind a sweeter and more concentrated juice. It can be frozen to extend shelf life.
corn syrup, also called high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) – a thick and sweet syrup obtained from processing cornstarch with acids or enzymes.
corn syrup solids – see corn syrup.
corn sweetener – made from the breakdown of cornstarch.
date sugar – sugar from dates.
dextrose, also called corn sugar, grape sugar and starch sugar – the most common form of glucose found in ripe grapes, honey and can be produced from starch.
disaccharide – any sugar containing 2 monosaccharides. Lactose and sucrose are also
fruit sugar – sugar found naturally in fruits.
fructose, also called levulose and fruit sugar – a simple sugar that is the sweetest among natural sugars (e.g. glucose, maltose and sucrose). Found in fruits, honey and saps.
glucose – a simple sugar obtained from plants, honey and grape juice. See dextrose.
glycerol – a sweet liquid synthesized from sugar.
glycol – a thick, colorless sweet liquid made artificially from certain ethylene compounds.
honey – made by bees from flower nectar.
invert sugar – the breakdown of sucrose into an equal mixture of glucose and fructose.
lactose, also called milk sugar – found naturally in milk. It can be hydrolyzed to yield glucose and galactose. The least sweet among other natural sugars.
levulose, also called fruit sugar – a simple sugar found in honey and ripe fruits. See frutose.
malt barley – barley processed into malt. This process produces sugar due to enzymatic reactions.
malt sugar – see maltose.
malt extract – see malt syrup.
malt syrup – made from a filtered, evaporated mash of ground corn and sprouted barley.
maltodextrins – made from corn starch or potato starch with the addition of acids and enzyme to break down the starch molecules. Used commonly in fat-reduced food.
maltose, also called malt sugar – a crystalline sugar formed from starch.
mannitol – a white, sweet crystalline substance found in many plants.
mannose – a monosaccharide (simple sugar) obtained from the oxidation of mannitol.
maple sugar – the boiling of the sap from the maple tree until all the liquid has evaporated. It is about twice as sweet as granulated white sugar.
maple syrup – a thick and syrupy sap from a maple tree that has been boiled until most of the water has evaporated.
molasses – a brownish-black syrup obtained from refining sugar cane and sugar beets.
monosaccharide – a simple sugar (e.g. fructose and sucrose)
nectars – made from fruit juices and pulp.
palm sugar, also called jaggery – obtained from palm trees (e.g. coconut trees) or sugar cane juice.
pentose – a monosaccharide and natural sugar with 5 carbon atoms.
raw sugar – primarily sucrose, it is what is left behind after the refining process of sugar cane.
rock sugar – comes in amber-colored lumps. Gives glaze to sauces and braised dishes. Also added to sweeten barley water and birds’ nest soup.
sorbitol – found naturally in some fruits and seaweeds.
stevia – a white-flowered shrub named Stevia rebaudiana. Its primary sweet component is called stevioside, which is found predominantly in the leaves. Stevia has minimal calories.
sucrose – a crystalline disaccharide of fructose and glucose obtained from sugar cane or sugar beets.
sugar cane – a tall tropical southeast Asian grass.
table sugar – made from sucrose. See sucrose.
turbinado, also called raw sugar – partially refined sugar.
unrefined sugar – see raw sugar.
white sugar – made from refine sugar or beet sugar
xylitol – obtained from fruits, berries. Used as a sweetener in sugar-free foods.
artificial sweeteners – aspartame and saccharin.
Chapter: Sugar :: 4 November 2007
