Rock Sugar - Other Sources?

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Aug 13th, '09, 15:15
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Rock Sugar - Other Sources?

by amarie » Aug 13th, '09, 15:15

I switched to rock sugar as my sweetener of choice a while ago, and have been looking for other suppliers than just Adagio, Teavana, etc. I came across a merchant on Amazon called Angelina's Gourmet that sells it in bulk (up to 10 lbs) at a cheaper price.

I'm thinking of ordering one of their small jars to try it, but wanted to check if anyone else has ordered from them?

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Aug 13th, '09, 16:36
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Re: Rock Sugar - Other Sources?

by Victoria » Aug 13th, '09, 16:36

Ok, I'll ask. I guess inquiring minds want to know why you
"switched to rock sugar as my sweetener of choice"?

Aug 14th, '09, 01:53
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Re: Rock Sugar - Other Sources?

by amarie » Aug 14th, '09, 01:53

Before I started getting into tea I used artificial sweetener (Equal) in coffee, etc. as a way to cut down on calories. After looking into some of the research done on those, however, I wanted to switch to something natural. I've never liked the taste of honey, so I tried Sugar in the Raw, Stevia and the rock sugar. I preferred the taste of the rock sugar.

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Aug 14th, '09, 02:11
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Re: Rock Sugar - Other Sources?

by betta » Aug 14th, '09, 02:11

Rock sugar gives a unique sweetness. It's more mellow. Its role is even more distinct in some chinese stew dishes; simply irreplaceable by ordinary sugar or any sweetening agent.

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Aug 14th, '09, 12:35
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Re: Rock Sugar - Other Sources?

by Victoria » Aug 14th, '09, 12:35

But isn't rock sugar made from regular processed sugar?
There certainly are no health advantages, right?

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Aug 14th, '09, 15:09
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Re: Rock Sugar - Other Sources?

by AdamMY » Aug 14th, '09, 15:09

Victoria, I think the rock sugar they are talking about is a less processed and unbleached version of say table sugar. So its big lumps think almost like sea salt vs table salt, and are usually a slightly brownish color.

I've seen it, but don't buy it personally.

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Aug 14th, '09, 15:11
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Re: Rock Sugar - Other Sources?

by sriracha » Aug 14th, '09, 15:11

Yes, if by 'rock sugar' you mean the large brown bits then I guess it's a little less processed than regular, fine-grained white sugar? Might contain slightly higher amounts of trace minerals and the like which among other things perhaps adds to the taste.

If not, then I don't know :D But I do think it's a good idea to stay well away from artificial sweeteners.

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Aug 14th, '09, 15:16
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Re: Rock Sugar - Other Sources?

by betta » Aug 14th, '09, 15:16

I think it isn't the same, because the taste simply different from regular white sugar. You can compare ordinary white sugar's sweet taste to that of rock sugar, with the same weight and dissolve it in water.
The raw material for sugar manufacturing is refined couple of times to recover the sweeter compounds out of it (to be sold at reasonably higher price), leaving substance (which is the regular white suger) which gives less sweetness than that of rock sugar with the same weight.
Or maybe the ordinary sugar here is so bad that it does so.

There's no direct relation with health benefit. However if one needs less amount of rock sugar than ordinary sugar to achieve certain level of sweeness, then it is better for health.

The price of real rock sugar (made in asia) is almost 3-4 times higher than that of regular sugar here. Again, there's still possibility that the rock sugar you find on the market is nothing more than piece of large regular white sugar because it is easy to make, so I always look for those sold in asian market I trust.
BTW it doesn't necessarily unbleached (coloured). In fact chinese called these real rock sugar as "ice sugar", if I translate it correctly.

Aug 14th, '09, 18:19
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Re: Rock Sugar - Other Sources?

by amarie » Aug 14th, '09, 18:19

If I'm remembering correctly, they somehow "cook" the sugar into a syrup or something, then crystallize it. In addition to the brown color it gives it a faint, caramel-ish taste that white sugar doesn't have.

Health wise, yes, it's still sugar, and about 25 cal. per teaspoon. I'm not saying it's good for you, just that it's less likely to cause cancer in lab rats than what I used to use( :D ) and that I like the taste of it.

Aug 13th, '10, 01:20
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Re: Rock Sugar - Other Sources?

by mybnola » Aug 13th, '10, 01:20

Health, shmealth, people! It's sugar - it's not supposed to be good for you! Brown rock sugar isn't about health, its about yummy delicious goodness that turns an ordinary cup of tea into a luxurious interlude redolent with Eurpoean savoir faire!

Seriously, while brown rock sugar is simply a carmelized form of white rock sugar, it is truly delicious. The taste is different from white rock sugar, because of the carmelization, and while I imagine that it would be overpowering in a green or white tea, it adds a depth of flavor that really compliments the stronger oolong or black teas.

FYI - Teavana claims that their brown rock sugar is "unprocessed." However, the caloric information for their sugar is identical to that of white table sugar, and does not match the calories of the less processed turbinado or demarara sugars. In addition, I have not found any method of rock sugar production that uses non-white sugar. The sugar, plain or carmelized, is boiled with water into a syrup, and then the water is slowly evaporated off to leave behind the solid crystals.

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Aug 13th, '10, 15:06
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Re: Rock Sugar - Other Sources?

by spot52 » Aug 13th, '10, 15:06

mybnola wrote: FYI - Teavana claims that their brown rock sugar is "unprocessed." However, the caloric information for their sugar is identical to that of white table sugar, and does not match the calories of the less processed turbinado or demarara sugars. In addition, I have not found any method of rock sugar production that uses non-white sugar. The sugar, plain or carmelized, is boiled with water into a syrup, and then the water is slowly evaporated off to leave behind the solid crystals.
I've also been told, by employees at Teavana, that their rock sugar is diabetic safe! :roll: I do not buy that line of hooey for a minute. They have tried to sell it as a health product, and that is appalling.

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