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Sugar cane and the different qualities

Sugar from the Latin Saccharum officinarum L. is commonly known as sugar cane. In the modern European variant, it is made with beetroot and white. The Saccharum officinarum is a tropical plant native to the Indo-Malay regions and belongs to the Poaceae family (Graminacee). The plant incredibly exceeds 26cm in diameter. It can be directly consumed as a food, extracting its juice through a squeeze not very common in Europe or producing the world's standard sweetener. The raw cane sugar that we all know.

Raw cane sugar -Saccharum officinarum - and blends with natural ingredients.

Our raw cane sugar selection consists of sugar cane with various natural ingredients such as vanilla, coconut, cardamom, and cinnamon finely tuned.

Origin and History

Sugar cane is a plant native to New Guinea. It was first introduced in Europe by the Arabs, first in Spain, around 700 AD. And subsequently in Sicily from 900 AD. The Spanish Conquistadores spread to all the western Indies after discovering the Americas by Christopher Columbus.

The cultivation was very profitable before the beginning of the 19th century. From this moment on, the prices have fallen since the sugar has been industrially extracted. Today in Europe, the production is exclusively made from beets.

Botanical characteristics

The Saccharum officinarum is a perennial tropical plant with a bushy habit that reaches an average of 4-5 meters in height, with some species exceeding 6 meters. The plant has a hard and angular rhizome, from which numerous woody stems spaced out by knots sprout. More than stems, we speak of typically hollow culms comparable to bamboo. Each plant consists of a central stem branched into numerous culms.

The stalk has a diameter ranging from 3 to 5 centimeters, capable of reaching - and exceeding - even 10 kilos in weight. Its color varies according to the species and variety and can be yellow, purple, green, or reddish. The stems are covered with very long and green leaves, lanceolate, and embedded knots with a sheath that wraps the stem. Its flowers are very similar to those of oats, and wheat is gathered in inflorescences called panicles. The cobs can reach quite substantial dimensions (90 cm). Sugar is obtained from a syrupy fluid present inside the stem.

Production and collection of sugar cane

The plant's reproduction generally takes place by cuttings taken from the top of the stems. Almost simultaneously with the harvest, they are planted in holes about a meter and a half away from each other to facilitate weeding. The transplant must take place in mid-spring and requires an abundant quantity of water so that, in the following months, a large amount of sugar can accumulate inside the sap.

It is necessary to point out that, at the time of harvesting for the subsequent extraction of the sugar, the stalk must not be torn but cut at the bottom with a clean blow with a cutting tool, thus leaving the root unharmed. With this technique, the stem can grow again and develop for the following year, immediately ready for a new harvest. Sugar cane takes 12 months to reach complete maturation. There are certainly no exceptions: in some areas, the plant takes 24 months to fully mature while in the other six months.

Small productions in Sicily

The preferred climate for sugar cane is hot and humid. It is mainly grown in warm tropical countries, where there is also a considerable abundance of rain. The temperature must not be lower than 20 °. As for the soil, it must be clayey-siliceous. In Italy, only some areas of Sicily are favorable to the modest cultivation of this plant.

The primary producers are located in Central and South America, as well as in Asia.