Most households, no matter how rudimentary their store cupboards (and we discovered during the Covid pandemic how poorly stocked with food a lot of people’s homes were) would have a bag of granulated sugar – or at least some sugar in a bowl. As well as being used to sweeten tea or coffee (for those people who still take sugar in those drinks) it’s also used for other basic culinary purposes, such as adding to pancakes, sweetening fruit for crumbles, pies and compotes, etc. Last month, I prepared a batch of pancakes and ate them topped with sugar and lemon juice. Some people add it to savoury sauces and I know it was an ingredient in my late aunt’s vinaigrette recipe. I refer to some of the other (sometimes surprising) foods containing sugar in my blog piece: The Ubiquity of Sugar, which can also be found on this site.

As well as this basic form of sugar, there is a wide variety of other types of sugar, which can be used to add subtle flavours and complement the dish being prepared.

Sugar is manufactured either from sugar cane or sugar beet. In either case, the processing involves the separation of the sugar from the plant, usually by dissolving, followed by crystallisation when the water is removed. This process produces white sugar, which is the purest form, although it lacks the nutrients present in its darker analogues.

All sugars are carbohydrates and contain molecules of sucrose, which has the chemical formula C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁. This means that each molecule contains 12 atoms of carbon, 22 atoms of hydrogen and 11 atoms of oxygen.

Granulated sugar

As I suggested in my introduction, granulated sugar is the most ubiquitous form of sugar. Its crystals are larger than all other types apart from Demerara sugar. Thinking about my own use of it, the jar comes out of the cupboard most often to add a teaspoon to the mixture when I make a loaf of bread in my bread-making machine. It’s needed as food for the yeast.

In recent years, white granulated sugar has been joined by its golden counterpart on supermarket shelves. Golden (or brown) sugars have a caramel flavour that can enhance some recipes.

Caster sugar

Caster sugar is the most common way in which cakes are sweetened. Its grains are smaller than those of granulated sugar, to allow it to incorporate more easily into the cake mixture. These days, in addition to white caster sugar, you can also buy golden caster sugar, and I tend to prefer it, even in sponge cakes.

Icing sugar

This is sugar that has been powdered, i.e. ground down into very fine particles. Until relatively recently, icing sugar was exclusively white, but a golden version is also now available. It has a slightly caramelised taste.

As the name suggests, this product is used to prepare the coverings for cakes. Water icing involves the sugar being mixed with a liquid such as water or lemon juice and the powder texture enables it to dissolve easily in liquids without leaving a grainy residue.

Buttercream icing (and various varieties of frosting) contains some form of fat, such as butter, as well as flavourings.

Demerara sugar

This is a type of raw sugar extracted from sugar cane. It has a large crystal size and is often used to top baked goods. Some people add it to drinks to sweeten them.

Soft brown sugar (light and dark)

Soft brown sugar is granulated sugar to which treacle and syrup have been added to create the characteristic colour and flavour. It can be manufactured either from sugar cane or sugar beet.

Muscovado sugar

This is a partially refined product from sugar cane with high molasses content. Light and dark varieties are available. Brown sugars are good in recipes such as gingerbread, where their flavour enhances the finished cake. It’s also often added to barbecue sauces to glaze meat before cooking.

Molasses sugar

This is a type of sugar that has been through minimal refining. It’s very dark brown in colour with an intense aroma and taste of treacle. I use it in my Christmas cake and Christmas pudding, where its flavour complements the richness of the other ingredients, such as dried fruits and nuts.

Preserving sugar

This is a specialist type of sugar which is recommended for the making of preserves, such as jam or marmalade. It has large crystals that dissolve slowly and minimise froth when the jam or marmalade is being prepared. A subset of this type of sugar is called jam sugar.

Whereas preserving sugar is 100% sugar, jam sugar also contains pectin, a setting agent, and is recommended for preserves in which the fruit doesn’t have enough natural pectin (such as strawberries).

Sugar cubes

These are forms of sugar compressed into cubes, which can be conveniently added to drinks such as tea or coffee. They are uniform in size and allow a consistent amount of sugar to be added each time, which might not be the case if a spoon is used.

They are generally available in white or brown varieties.

Summary of sugar types and properties

Golden syrup and treacle

These are products made from sugar, and also used in cooking; however, they are liquids, albeit with a high viscosity. It is possible to buy molasses as well, although it’s much less readily available than the other items mentioned in this piece.