The sugar industry plays a fundamental role in Mauritian history, culture and heritage. It has shaped our society and left its mark on the landscape. The end of the Sugar Protocol in 2009, which guaranteed prices and quotas on the European market, has given new impetus to speciality sugars, a real source of pride for the corporation. Dominique Bellier
Although the first cane plants introduced to Mauritius by the Dutch in 1639 were intended for drinking, sugar was not produced for the first time until 1664 for the local population. There was also the Indian artisanal sugar, jaggery, produced from vesou. But today, the Mauritian range of specialty sugars, manufactured by the three main sugar groups and sold in 55 countries, is a kind of return to our roots, with these unrefined products benefiting from today’s technologies and 400 years of Mauritian expertise!
The first Mauritian speciality sugars saw the light of day in 1978 with Demerara and Golden granulated. As soon as the Sugar Protocol came to an end, the sugar manufacturers began to focus on this market, expanding their offer to reach 120,000 tonnes for export by 2015. Today, Mauritius can boast some 45 years of expertise in this high-end market.
The 18 special sugars offered by the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate, in charge of marketing, are divided into three families of increasingly darker hues: natural classics, authentic specialties and wholesome gems. These crystals range from off-whites, golds and honey to darker and lighter browns. Their texture ranges from the finest powders to crunchy crystals.
The natural classics offer more or less subtle molasses flavors, caramel or sweet butter. Caramel dominates in the amber-tinged Demerara, while the soft, sometimes moist textures of the Muscovado exude a complex range of aromas, in all the nuances of caramel.
The further down the hierarchy you go, the more the olfactory and gustatory richness opens up a wide range of uses: from cold or hot drinks for the simplest, to sauces, marinades and stews that they enrich with new aromatic notes, not forgetting of course desserts and pastries. Pastry chef Sandy Scioli considers Muscovado to be the “caviar of sugars”, with its spicy notes, notably vanilla, that underline the taste of butter.
With no added colorants, artificial flavors or preservatives, these special sugars are rich in antioxidants and minerals, thanks to their higher molasses content. With Dina life, the Omnicane group offers a new generation of healthy sugars, approved by the Mauritian heart foundation: a sugar rich in antioxidants, beneficial for immunity, liver and heart, and a low GI sugar, which can meet the needs of diabetics.
