What is brown sugar?

Brown sugar consists of Sugar crystals contained in molasses syrup with natural flavour and colour components. Many sugar refiners produce brown sugar by preparing and boiling special syrup containing these components until brown sugar crystals form. In the final processing the crystals are spun dry in a centrifuge; some of the syrup remains, giving the sugar its characteristic brown colour. Other refiners produce brown sugar by blending special molasses syrup with white sugar crystals. The difference between light and dark brown sugar is that the darker sugars have more of the refiners' syrup (or molasses) left in the product. Turbinado, Muscovado and Demerara sugars are all speciality brown sugars. Although there are no significant nutritional differences between brown and white sugars, the former are used for their distinctive flavours and colours.