Demerara sugar is a variety of raw sugar that has a sparkling golden crystal and a rich, distinctive flavour. Actual raw sugar has a color more like straw, contains impurities, has its own characteristic flavour, and is a product of the first refining process. Demerara sugar is made by a process that begins with the juice of crushed sugar cane. The juice is heated to a certain temperature which removes water by evaporation leaving behind crystallised sugar; it is then spun in a centrifuge to remove some of the impurities and again dried. Although typically known as a brown sugar it has crystals much larger than normal brown sugars and the refining process is different.
Demerara sugar may come from tropical areas of the world where sugar cane is grown and there are sugar cane processing mills, but it was originally a product of the Demerara colony of Guyana. A number of countries including as Mauritius and Australia produce this product for export to other areas of the world. It is similar in texture to the Turbinado sugar produced in Hawaii and some parts of the US for its consumers. The difference between Demerara sugar and Turbinado sugar is that the taste of the two is slightly different and Turbinado sugar has larger crystals.
Demerara sugar is considered one of the better sugar products to use with coffee and is a sugar that is used in many cafes and restaurants around the world. Those that are connoisseurs of coffee making regard it as one of the essential ingredients to use when creating a superb cup of coffee. Demerara sugar is said to bring out, with its subtle molasses taste the real flavour and character of a cup of coffee. The sugar is also suitable for use in baking where it produces a good color on the baked crusts of many foods. Where the sugar is not available raw sugar, turbinado sugar or the lighter brown sugar may be used for cooking and where Demerara sugar is required in a recipe it may not be a success if this sugar is not used. As this sugar has more flavour and color than other types of sugar be careful adding it to recipes where it may change the taste and color and spoil the outcome.