Since I don’t bake sweets very often, I don’t use that much sugar at home. But still, a certain amount is always needed. For the past few years, I’ve been wondering what kind of sweetener is best for our human body, environment, taste etc—and honestly, I still haven’t found a clear answer.
The photo at the top shows the sugars and sweeteners currently in our kitchen: On the far left is Mascobado, an unrefined cane sugar. Next to it, the white one is beet sugar made in Germany. Then coconut blossom sugar, and below it is agave syrup. On the far right, the top is local honey, and beneath it is standard cane sugar.
Mascobado is quite expensive, but I saw it in "A New Way to Bake", one of my favorite book of 2025 and wanted to try it. It has a deep, rich flavor. Coconut blossom sugar has a similar taste profile, but Mascobado feels deeper and more nuanced.
Unrefined brown sugar is often considered better for health, and taking price into account, it makes sense that organic shops mostly stock brown cane sugar. Even supermarket organic brands seem to lean heavily toward cane sugar, and we've been using it at home for quite a while too.
But most of that cane sugar comes from Brazil—halfway around the world from Germany. When I think about local sourcing and environmental impact, I start to question whether it’s really the best choice, even if it’s affordable and in a way healthy.
That’s when I became more curious about German beet sugar. It’s slightly more expensive than commonly available cane sugar, but if it’s produced domestically, it might be a more sustainable choice.
Because of its white color, beet sugar tends to get lumped in with the idea that “refined = bad,” but I’ve tried it several times now with environmental impact in mind. While writing this post, I looked up its effect on blood sugar and was surprised to learn that its glycemic index is actually on the lower side 65—so it might be gentler on the body than expected.
I’ll write more about this later, but by chance, I recently started reading Slow Drinks by Danny Child. It’s a beautiful book that encourages us to reconsider the drinks we consume with care. Thanks to this inspiration, I’m thinking of making this year’s Shiso Syrup with beet sugar. That’s how this humble white sugar found its way back into my hands.
So... will I finally settle on a go-to sweetener for our home? I’ll keep you posted. And I'm interested in what kind of sugar you use 🍯
今回日本語版はnoteに「ドイツにてどの甘味を使おうか問題」というタイトルで投稿しました。よかったらのぞいてみてください☺️
