So what is sugar?
What we commonly call “sugar” is refined sucrose, a carbohydrate of two simple sugars (glucose and fructose) found naturally in plants. Glucose and fructose get a lot of attention in the media because of their central role (for good and bad) in food production and consumption.
Today, refined sugar comes from two plants, the sugar beet (a cultivar of the common beetroot) and sugar cane. There are many types of refined sugar available with the differences being the amount of refinement and added ingredients.
There are also less refined traditional sugar products that have been used to sweeten food for centuries. Our ancestors also used sugar’s antibacterial qualities to keep preserved foods such as jams and the like bacteria free without refrigeration.
Types
Click the links below for more information on different sugars.