Is beet sugar better or cane sugar better? Differences between the two and a comparison of sugar content

Sugar crops are crops that provide raw materials for the sugar industry. They mainly include sugarcane, sugar beet and sweet sorghum. In northern China, sugar beet is the main crop, while in southern China, sugarcane is the main crop. So is beet sugar better or cane sugar better? What is the difference between the two?

Is beet sugar better or cane sugar better? What is the difference between the two?

Cane granulated sugar has uniform, neat grains, a hard texture, is loose and dry, and has no impurities. It is the type of edible sugar with the highest sucrose content and the highest purity, and it is also a kind of edible sugar that is relatively easy to store. Beet granulated sugar, however, has fine crystals, contains more moisture, and has a soft, moist appearance and texture. It dissolves quickly in the mouth and is suitable for directly sprinkling on or dipping into foods and pastries. Beet granulated sugar is sweeter than cane granulated sugar. Sugar beet and sugarcane are both sugar crops. The planting region is related to the geographical environment, and different regions are suitable for growing different crops. In the world's granulated sugar output, about 65% comes from sugarcane and about 35% comes from sugar beet. There is also no difference in quality between the two.

Sugarcane sugar production

Using sugarcane as the raw material, the process of making products such as white granulated sugar and raw sugar through steps including juice extraction, clarification, evaporation, crystallization, centrifugal separation of molasses and drying. The characteristics of sugarcane and the chemical composition and properties of cane juice have a great influence on the sugar-making process and are the basis for selecting production methods and process conditions. There are 14 provinces (regions) in China that grow sugarcane, mainly Guangdong, Guangxi, Taiwan, China, Yunnan and Fujian, followed by Hainan, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Hunan, Zhejiang, Guizhou, Hubei, Henan and Shaanxi.

Sugar beet sugar production

Sugar beet sugar production uses sugar beet as the raw material and, through ion exchange technology, produces sucrose products such as white granulated sugar and soft white sugar. It is mainly distributed in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Heilongjiang Province and areas to the north. It is a commonly used seasoning for city residents.

Introduction to sugar beet and sugarcane

Sugar beet

Sugar beet is a biennial herbaceous plant in the Amaranthaceae family, genus Beta. Its root is conical to spindle-shaped and juicy. The stem is upright. The basal leaves are oblong with long petioles, wrinkled and uneven on the upper surface, with thick, prominent veins on the lower surface, and entire or slightly wavy margins. The petioles are thick and strong. The stem leaves are alternate and smaller. The flowers are clustered. The perianth lobes are linear or narrowly oblong. The upper part of the utricle is slightly fleshy. The seeds are biconvex-lens-shaped and reddish brown. It flowers in May-June and fruits in July. It is native to the western and southern coasts of Europe, and was introduced from Sweden to Spain. This species is widely cultivated and highly variable, and has been divided into several subspecies, varieties and forms. The sugar beet used as a raw material for sugar production is a biennial crop. Every part of the sugar beet is useful. The main product of sugar beet is sugar. Sugar is an indispensable nutrient for people's lives and is also an important raw material for the food industry, beverage industry and pharmaceutical industry.

Sugarcane

Sugarcane belongs to the genus Saccharum and is a perennial tall solid herbaceous plant. The rhizome is thick and well developed. The stalk is 3-5 (-6) m tall. It is widely planted in southern tropical regions such as Taiwan, China, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan. Sugarcane is suitable for planting in places with fertile soil, abundant sunshine and a large temperature difference between winter and summer.

Sugarcane is a crop of temperate and tropical zones and is the raw material for making sucrose. It can also be refined into ethanol as an alternative energy source. More than one hundred countries around the world produce sugarcane, and the largest sugarcane-producing countries are Brazil, India and China. Sugarcane contains abundant sugar and water, and also contains various vitamins, fats, proteins, organic acids, calcium, iron and other substances that are very beneficial to human metabolism. It is mainly used for sugar production. The outer skin is generally purple and green, two common colors, and there are also red and brown, but these are relatively rare.