By Staff Writer

Cane sugar is an important kitchen component. It comes from sugarcane, which grows in warm temperatures or tropical regions like Asia. But though the plant grows in the tropical regions, they also need lots of water. Once it is planted, it will take years before it can be eradicated. Its roots grow another plant, and the roots of that plant gow into another, until the cycle is repeated.

There are different types of foods that require sugar, which gives us reasons where to find cane sugar.

  1. Asia has a tropical climate so most of its countries grow sugar cane. In the eastern part of the Philippines, sugar cane measures two to six meters tall with its stalks being rich in sugar.
  2. Brazil generates most of the world’s sugarcane production; it produces about one-third.
  3. Louisiana in the USA grows sugar cane, which can be harvested after six months while in some places, twenty-four months, or one year is ideal. Louisiana has lots of sun and water, which is preferred by the plant.
  4. South Texas has been proud of its Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, Inc. It produces and processes millions of tons of sugar cane, raw sugar and molasses annually, which are considered major contributions to the national economy.
  5. Latin American countries also produce sugar cane, which they call rapadura or panela. Rapadura is a simple process; it is simply boiling the cane juice to remove its water content.
  6. Europe produces “unrefined sugar” which is one of the other names they call for sweetener. Other names include milled cane sugar, crystallized cane juice, dried cane juice, and consumption sugar.
  7. Mexico produces sugar cane where it became famous for its sugar cane-sweetened Coca Cola and other colas.

These are some of the sources of cane sugar for the world’s consumption. It helps us know where we get one of the most important products we use in almost everything that we take. The list of sources could give us a clue where to go when there is a shortage in sugar production in one place. On the other hand, it is not enough that we know where to find cane sugar; we should also know more about its uses.

Two of the most well-known products that use sugar cane are:

  1. Coca Cola is sugar cane sweetened. Instead of corn syrup glop, which has very high fructose, sugar cane is used to sweeten the product.
  2. RC Cola is said to be made with sugar cane and is an outstanding substitute to sweeten other foods that need sugar.

Other uses of sugar are worth noting like the cane-sweetened form of Coke, which is preserved for Passover, for sweetening beverages and foods, and in processing natural foods. Evaporated sugar cane juice is also known by other names such as milled cane sugar, crystallized cane juice, dried cane juice and direct consumption sugar. They can be available in different flavors, texture and forms.