Sugar

The black raw sugar of Okinawa cane, from eight islands to the infinite possibilities

This black cane raw sugar caused a "historic revolution" in Japan as soon as it was produced.

It is only produced on eight isolated islands: Aguni, Hateruma, IE, Iheiya, Iriomote, Kohama, Tarama and Yonaguni.

This "sustainable food" inherits the same environmentally friendly manufacturing techniques, unchanged since the beginning of the eDo era.

This crude black cane sugar is not transformed, but obtained according to the traditional method of manufacturing sugar, which simply consists of squeezing and concentrating the sugar cane.

This sugar is a culinary culture that Okinawa has been cherishing for centuries. It is a resource that perpetuates Okinawa isolated island traditions, a sustainable and environmentally friendly product, and a nutritional source rich in minerals for future generations. It is also an important industry that will support Okinawa's islands in the near future? A regional resource with eight isolated islands in Okinawa can be proud around the world.

How is the black raw sugar from Okinawa?

Okinawa's black sugar is made by pressing sugar cane juice and boiling. Okinawa's black sugar has a rich and deep flavor that will sublimate all your dishes. His secret lies in his manufacture from carefully grown sugar cane on each island. The island factories operate from December to April, when the sugar cane stores the most sugar. The quality of the harvested sugar cane degrading over time, only an amount corresponding to daily production is harvested and transported by truck to the factory.

The sugar cane rods, about 2 meters long, are first cut into small pieces, then pressed several times to extract the juice. The impurities are precipitated and the filtered liquid is heated and concentrated in several steps. It is then brewed to incorporate air and cooled to become black sugar. It is then boxed or molded before being completely solidified. Although the process differs slightly according to the islands, Okinawa's black crude sugar is obtained by boiling fresh sugar juice in this way.

On the other hand, when the "molasses", containing unsweetened ingredients, is removed from the filtered and refined liquid, the white sugar is obtained, the crystallized sugar, the black sugar and the candy sugar. These sugars are classified as "fractional sugars", while the black sugar is classified as "molecous sugar".

A very ecological sweetness

The residue resulting from the extraction of sugar cane juice is called Bagasse. The bagasse weighs about a quarter of the weight of the sugar cane. If it was thrown away, it would be a large amount of industrial waste. The production workshops of the 8 islands use it as fuel for their boilers. In addition, the impurities eliminated by decantation are returned to the fields in the form of compost and used for the cultivation of the sugar cane. The black sugar production workshop is very ecological and produces no waste.

Nutritional values of Okinawa's black sugar

Okinawa's raw black sugar is rich in vitamins and minerals. Many people think that black sugar is "good for health", but what are his real benefits? The crude black cane sugar is richer in vitamins and minerals (inorganic substances) than white sugar and honey. It is mainly composed of carbohydrates (sugar), as well as these sweeteners, and is a source of energy. By integrating the black sugar to your everyday life, you can also consume vitamins and minerals essential to your health, even little by little.