Sugar plays an important role in every food that we consume, whether it is cooked at home or bought packed from the market. It not only adds flavour to the food but also increases longevity.
Key Takeaways
- Palm sugar originates from various palm tree species’ sap and tastes caramel.
- Cane sugar derives from sugarcane, with a more neutral sweetness.
- Palm sugar has a lower glycemic index than cane sugar, making it a potentially healthier alternative.
Palm Sugar vs Cane Sugar
Palm sugar is a sweetener that is derived from different palm trees, it is gotten from the tropical regions in Asia, and it is used as a sweetener in different savoury meals. Cane sugar is natural sugar extracted from the sugarcane plant, and it grows in the Southeast region of Asia and India.
Palm sugar was originally grown in the coastal and tropical regions of Asia. Palm sugar is also called jaggery. It requires minimum processing and does not include any chemicals.
The sugarcane plant is widely grown in the warm and temperate regions of Southeast Asia, India and New Guinea, and Thailand.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of comparison | Palm Sugar | Cane Sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Arenga pinnata | Saccharum officinarum |
| Origin | Coastal and tropical regions of Asia and a native sugar source in China, Indonesia, and Malaysia | Southeast Asia, Indian continent, New Guinea and Brazil, Thailand |
| Derivation | Sap of palm trees | From sugarcane and then undergoes several industrial processes |
| Nutrition Value | Rich source of potassium, zinc and phosphorus | Rich source of carbohydrates, sucrose and can provide energy |
| Application | As a natural sweetener in various sweet and savory dishes | As a sweetener, in salad oils, salad dressings, and widely used in the jam, jelly, and mayonnaise industry |
What is Palm Sugar?
It is a type of sweetener made from a variety of palm trees. It plays a pivotal role as an ingredient in sweet and savoury dishes.
The process of production of palm sugar involves boiling the collected sap. When it thickens and cools down, it can be stored and sold as palm syrup.
Palm sugar is called by various names in different parts of the world. The name depends on the process of production, ingredients, or the variant used.
Palm sugar is a good source of nutrition as it contains a high amount of potassium, zinc, and phosphorus. The storage of palm sugar can be tricky as it can go bad easily.
What is Cane Sugar?
Cane sugar is a natural sugar obtained exclusively from the sugarcane species. The sugarcane plant grows in warm and temperate regions of Southeast Asia, India, and New Guinea.
The process of production of cane sugar involves harvesting, cutting, crushing, juice extraction, clarification, evaporation, crystallization, centrifugation, and refining procedure.
Just after extraction, cane sugar has a color that can be removed by the use of carbon or use of special resins. The sugarcane plants require tropical and subtropical climates with annual moisture to grow.
Brazil is the largest producer of cane sugar in the world, and India is the 2nd largest. Over 30 million hectares of the field are devoted to sugarcane cultivation worldwide. Over 130 countries produce cane sugar.
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Main Differences Between Palm Sugar and Cane Sugar
- Palm sugar has nutrients like potassium, zinc, and phosphorus, while cane sugar does not contain any nutrients and only carbohydrates and calories.
- Palm sugar is considered healthier than cane sugar and can be a great alternative to sugar, while cane sugar is not a healthier choice.
- https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:272453
- https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/fstr/21/6/21_857/_article/-char/ja/
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