Key difference: Sugar is processed through a long process. First the juice is extracted from the sugarcane, and is then purified with lime and heat. Then it is further processed, and it eventually separates into sugar crystals and molasses. The sugar crystals are bleached and refined to give the end product, which we buy at the supermarket. This is the traditional white sugar. Raw sugar, on the other hand, is sugar that has not been fully refined to the state that we usually find on the market. The process of refining sugar is stopped right before the sugar crystals are separated from the molasses. Hence, raw sugar is sugar that naturally contains molasses.

Sugar is the generalized name for sweet-flavored food substances. Sugars are categorized as carbohydrates, which are a group of compounds made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrates, and in turn sugars, are the source of chemical energy for living organisms, including humans. Sugars are categorized as monosaccharide, disaccharides and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides are the simplest carbohydrate type, composed of a single molecule. These include glucose, galactose, and fructose. Disaccharides are made up of two molecules. The table sugar, also known as sucrose, most commonly used by humans, is a type of disaccharide. Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose.

Sucrose, table sugar, is mainly extracted from either sugarcane or sugar beet. Sugar became a popular sweetener in the 18th century, after sugar plantations were set up in the West Indies and Americas. However, sugar was being produced as far back as the ancient times in India, and subsequently in China. After the 18th century, sugar was very popular, but rare, and it could only be afforded by the wealthy. Hence, sugar was often called “white gold.”

Sugar is processed through a long process. First the juice is extracted from the sugarcane, and is then purified with lime and heat. Then it is further processed, and it eventually separates into sugar crystals and molasses. The sugar crystals are bleached and refined to give the end product, which we buy at the supermarket. This is the traditional white sugar.

Raw sugar, on the other hand, is sugar that has not been fully refined to the state that we usually find on the market. The process of refining sugar is stopped right before the sugar crystals are separated from the molasses. Hence, raw sugar is sugar that naturally contains molasses. However, raw sugar should not be confused with brown sugar despite the fact that both have similar coloring and contain molasses. Brown sugar, which has gained popularity today, is white sugar with molasses added back in.

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