Exotic products that Russian consumers have never even heard of appear on store shelves more and more. This is how coconut sugar, consumed for centuries in Asian countries, but in Russia, is little known. Marketers claim its incredible benefits, doctors refute this. How to figure out what kind of product it is?
Coconut Sugar Production
Coconut sugar is produced in Asian countries, mainly in Thailand and Indonesia. This is completely manual labor organized on coconut farms. First, nectar is collected: flower buds are cut directly on a palm tree and hang containers under them. The juice collected in them is poured into a vat, where it is heated over a small fire. Further, the brew overflows into two more vats alternately with a stronger fire. Tanks are heated on a fire, for which waste wood is used - firewood, coconut shells and dry palm leaves.
Only women work in such factories. The cooking process is continuous: after transfusion of nectar from the first tub, a new one is poured into it, and so on in a circle. As a result, all excess moisture is evaporated, the resulting mass cools, hardens and is divided into bars. After packaging in bags, the product is ready for sale. In Asian markets, such sugar is a popular commodity that has been known for hundreds of years. In our country, this is a rarity and exotic. You can buy coconut sugar in a store in ethnic cuisine departments or order it online. Of course, and its price is several times higher than that of a conventional white product.
Benefit: myth or reality?
The main advantage of coconut sugar is its naturalness, not touched by industrial production. Like many centuries ago, workers mine it with their own hands. Minimal heat treatment preserves all useful trace elements. The product contains B vitamins, zinc, iron, potassium, magnesium. Sugar contains beneficial amino acids and antioxidants.
But still, scientists disagree on the benefits of coconut sugar. There are many useful substances in it, but they are in small quantities, and its main component is carbohydrates. It will be more correct to speak not about the benefits of coconut sugar, but about its harmlessness. Indeed, it is less harmful to health and body than regular sugar. This is due to the low glycemic index.
Glycemic index
All foods affect the body in different ways. It depends on the content of fast or slow carbohydrates. Some quickly increase blood sugar due to instant conversion to glucose. The result is the formation of new fats. Others break down within a few hours. Glucose enters the blood in small doses, does not turn into fat, but serves as a source of energy and is completely consumed. Such products are more beneficial for the body.
To indicate the rate of decay of carbohydrates, a glycemic index was introduced. Coconut sugar is of low importance, its use is this. If you consume the same amount of sugar, coconut will do less harm than white in Russia. But only under the condition of its moderate use, since, despite the low glycemic index, its calorie content is high.
Calorie content
Fats, proteins and carbohydrates enter the body with food. They provide the energy necessary for the movement and work of internal organs. This energy is calculated in calories. If a person consumes too high-calorie foods or leads an inactive lifestyle, all calories do not have time to be converted into energy and are stored in the form of fats. According to this indicator, coconut sugar, whose calorific value is 382 kcal per 100 g, is practically the same as usual (398 kcal per 100 g). This is a lot, so the consumption of such a product should be limited, regardless of its origin.
All about harm
It is believed that coconut sugar is harmless and may be the best substitute for other types of sugar. It may be so, but you should not treat it as a healthy product and include it in immense quantities in the diet, you do not need to "eat with spoons." Despite the low level of glycemic index and a lot of useful trace elements, it is still sugar, consisting of carbohydrates. It is not recommended to consume people with diabetes, although in advertising you can sometimes hear the opposite.
Coconut sugar tastes less sweet than beet sugar, but has the same calorie content, so when consumed it may require a larger quantity to get the usual taste. This must be avoided, otherwise the body will receive extra calories, which will be deposited in the form of fat. It is impossible to unambiguously characterize coconut sugar: the benefits and harms are present in it, but when consumed in small quantities they will not have a special effect on the body. If it is not possible to completely abandon sugar consumption, coconut in this case is a good option. In search of the exotic you have to spend money. The price of coconut sugar is several times higher than the price of a regular one.
Reviews
So is coconut sugar good or bad? Customer reviews of this product are positive. Everyone notes its pleasant, unusual taste, not cloying, some compare it with honey. Tea and coffee are added as regular sugar, but many note that it makes the drink cloudy. It has no contraindications for use by children. The only minus is its overpriced, but if used economically, packs of loose sugar will last for several months. Popular brands of coconut sugar: Tardo`s Best Organic, Nutiva, Tropical Nutrition, Sweet Tree.
Use
The taste of coconut sugar resembles caramel. In appearance, these are small crystals of brown color. In fact, it is candied palm nectar. It is mainly used in cooking for the preparation of confectionery; it can give the dish a light caramel or nutty flavor.
Harmoniously combined with coffee. It can be used in the preparation of desserts, cold and hot drinks, as well as cocktails. Add an interesting note to sweets and ice cream. You can sweeten them porridge. Some manufacturers produce sugar in the form of paste. In this form, it can simply be spread on bread or cookies.
What to cook with coconut sugar? Muesli!
It remains to find out the most important thing about coconut sugar: how to use it in cooking at home. There is a simple breakfast option. Pour oatmeal on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at a temperature of 150-170 degrees for 20 minutes. For 300 g of cereal, 100 g of dried fruits and nuts are taken, and more can be tasted. The cereal is mixed, nuts are added and sprinkled with coconut sugar. Dry for another 15 minutes.
Next, lay dried fruit, you can add candied fruit and leave for another 5 minutes in the oven. Remove from the oven, cool and pour into a storage container. Use is recommended as granola with milk, yogurt, juice.
Dessert cream
You can prepare a custard as follows: 200 ml of coconut milk is taken for 2 egg yolks (if you can’t buy it, you can use cow's milk), and 20 g of coconut sugar, flour and powdered sugar. Mix yolks, powdered sugar and flour. Dissolve sugar in hot milk, mix everything, put on low heat. Cook to a thick mass, cool. Use for cake decorating or as a filling for cakes.