Demerara (sugar)

Demerara (also spelled as 'demerera') is used as the generic name of a type of specialty raw cane sugar often used in home baking and in sweetening coffee and tea. Demerara is normally brown in color—the natural color of cane sugar. Demerara has a coarse texture due to its large crystals. It takes its name from the Demerara colony in Guyana, the original source of this type of sugar, which is produced today mainly in Mauritius.Cite web
url=http://www.chow.com/stories/10674
title=Shades of Brown: What's the difference between brown sugars?
accessdate=2008-08-03
first=Michele |last=Foley
date=2007] Cite web
url=http://www.dominosugar.com/products/demerara.asp
title=Domino® Demerara Washed Raw Cane Sugar
accessdate=2008-08-03
publisher=Information Resources, Inc.
date=2005] Cite web
url=http://www.recipezaar.com/library/getentry.zsp?id=484
title=Raw Sugar
accessdate=2008-08-03
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date=2008]

Demerara is a type of unrefined sugar with a large grain. Its colour is pale to golden yellow. It comes from pressed sugar cane which is then steamed for the juice to form thick cane syrup. The syrup is dehydrated to form large golden brown crystals. As it is not refined much, it is rich and creamy.

Demerara can be found in supermarkets along with other specialty sugars, but usually they are sold in small sizes for customers who wish to experiment. The sugar can also be found in coffee houses as single serve packets.

The sugar was first made in a colony in Guyana. Mass production later moved to Mauritius. Another type is London demerara which is defined with added molasses. It is a crunchy type of sugar. In cooking, demerara is known for changing the texture or colour of recipes.

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