Okinawan brown sugar differs from other brown sugars that are made by adding molasses to refined white sugar. By contrast, Okinawa’s production process retains the sugarcane rich content with a lower glycemic index compared with conventional brown sugar.
A painstaking production process
Okinawan brown sugar is processed from sugarcane grown in fields receiving strong sunlight, and salt minerals from the sea spray. The sugarcane is crushed in machines to extract the liquid juice, which is then boiled down into a thick concentrated syrup. Impurities are removed, following which the syrup is cooled and hardened. The entire process is very tedious with much manual labour involved to ensure the purest flavour is achieved. As the final product is affected by environmental factors, such as humidity, sunlight, and temperature, it becomes dependent upon the experienced human eye and hand to ensure consistent results.
A very healthy sweetener
This unique sweet, slightly bitter, and slighty salty brown sugar contains less calories than white sugar. In addition, it has far more nutrients, such as vitamin B, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, folic acid, and essential amino acids.
Brown sugar is a highly nutritious alternative to sweeteners, such as honey or white sugar. In addition, brown sugar can substitute high sodium condiments, such as soy sauce, to enhance dish flavours.
Health benefits of brown sugar would include expelling excess sodium in the body, helping to regulate blood pressure, assisting the nervous system, or relieving fatigue.
