Okinawan brown sugar is prized in Japanese cooking for its deep and intense flavor. Only eight islands in the archipelago produce what can be called Okinawan brown sugar, and each sugar is different. The difference lies primarily in the terroir of each island.
Coral islands impart a different flavor from other types of islands. This sugar from Hateruma Island is the most highly prized of the Okinawan sugars, and we can see why.
On the tongue it tastes of brown sugar with earthy mineral tones and savoriness. The fragrance is deep with hints of tobacco. Not only can you use this amazing sugar in your favorite desserts, but it is a great addition to many savory dishes such as braises, broths, etc. Perfect for both sweet and savory applications
Note: due to this sugar being much less processed than regular white sugar, it is full of texture and is not fully granulated.
Ingredients: sugar
Weight: 500 gr
The Producer - Formed in 1954, Murakami Syouten is a 3rd generation sugar company located in Osaka. Starting first as a sugar trader, Murakami has grown into a sugar processor that also specializes in Okinawan Brown Sugar.
Okinawan Brown Sugar (called Black Sugar in Japan), is a niche product, comprising one half of one percent of the Japanese sugar market. Only sugar produced on 8 of the 160 islands in the Okinawan archipelago can be called Okinawan Brown Sugar. What makes this an even more specialized product is that the sugar from each of those islands is unique thanks to the terroir of their locations and the exact type of sugarcane grown.
This brown sugar is sourced from Murakami Syouten, Hateruma Island, the southernmost inhabited island in Japan.
Hateruma Island brown sugar is considered the most desirable of the Okinawan brown sugars. Although Hateruma Island is tiny, just under five square miles in area and with only around 600 inhabitants, a confluence of factors produce an outstanding product: the calcium from the coral island; the subtropical climate perfect for growing sugar cane; and, of course, the skill of the farmers and sugar plant workers. The resulting sugar has a deep flavor with earthy mineral tones and savoriness.