Date sugar representstoday a novelty in the world of western nutrition and especially in the sweeteners sector.
However, the history of this natural sugar is very ancient and even more so is the cultivation of the date palm as a fruit tree by man.
This delicious and very sweet fruit has in fact accompanied the history of the civilizations of the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East and North Africa since ancient times, where it is still part of the daily diet today. Dates are also traditionally consumed by Muslims to break the fast practiced during Ramadan.
The date palm, whose scientific name is Phoenix dactylifera, was one of the first fruit plants cultivated by the civilizations that inhabited these areas. The name of the fruit instead derives from the ancient Greek dáktylos, which means finger, in reference to its elongated shape.
The Muslim tradition considers the date a sacred fruit, a real fruit of paradise, it is also mentioned in the Koran and is recommended to pregnant women and after childbirth, due to its numerous nutritional properties.
The nutritional values of the date are considerable, it is in fact a fruit rich in beneficial elements for health, including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Date sugar therefore comes from an ancient culinary tradition; for centuries date concentrate was used instead of sugar, precisely because it was one of the very few sweeteners available.
Moreover, date sugar, in its raw form, retains many of the properties of the fruit itself.
So what are the innovations that it has brought to the world of nutrition today?
Date sugar today
Today it is possible to find different types of date sugar on the market. The sweeteners obtained from the processing of dates can be divided mainly into three types: powders, syrups and crystalline sugars.
Let’s see below the main characteristics of each type.
Raw date sugar is made by grinding dry dates into a granular powder similar to raw cane sugar.
This whole sugar has a medium-low glycemic index and preserves part of the vitamins and minerals contained in the fruit.
Therefore, raw date sugar lends itself very well to those who prefer whole foods or wish to reduce the sugar intake in the diet, thanks to the lower glycemic index and calories than those of sucrose.
Date syrup is instead similar to a molasses with an intense red-brown color, it is produced by cooking the fruits, obtaining a syrup which is filtered and then concentrated.
It can be used as a substitute for honey and sucrose and is well suited to the preparation of homemade cakes and desserts.
However, a point against raw date sugar and syrup is its instability.
The presence of residues can in fact considerably modify the taste and color of foods, making them unsuitable for the preparation of food and beverage products on a large scale, since they do not achieve standardized results.
The last of the three types is crystalline date sugar, which represents the most recent and innovative version.
Crystalline date sugar: an important evolution in the food sector
Today there is a new evolution of this ancient sweetener on the market, it is crystalline date sugar, created and patented by Naturalia Ingredients.
This Italian company represents excellence in the field of natural sweeteners; thanks to a patented production process, it is in fact able to extract the natural sugars of the fruit, without the use of chemical solvents and without modifying its properties.
Naturalia produces a range of date sugars in solid and crystalline form, free from impurities, odorless and tasteless (with the exception of sweetness).
These natural white sugars lend themselves to different types of use, both in the food, oenological and cosmetic fields.
Thanks to the technology developed by Naturalia, it is now possible to purify the sugars naturally contained in date juice, i.e. glucose and fructose, separating them from the other components and impurities.
In this way a totally pure syrup is obtained, which is subsequently processed, separating the glucose from the fructose and creating two separate syrups.
The last step is crystallization, during which the individual sugars are crystallized in water, which serves as a natural solvent.
No chemicals or synthetics are used in this process, nor are they added to the final product.
As a result, not only the sugar component of the date in crystalline form is obtained, but also the individual isolated sugars, i.e. dextrose (glucose) and fructose, which can be used individually or in combination with each other, offering great versatility of use.
There are therefore three types of date sugars in the Naturalia range:
- crystalFRUCTODATE (crystalline fructose from dates)
- crystalDEXTRODATE (crystalline dextrose from dates)
- crystalDATESUGAR (crystalline date sugars) consisting of 50% dextrose and 50% fructose
Why choose crystalline date sugar as an alternative to traditional sugar? Benefits and calories
The advantages and benefits of crystalline fruit sugars and therefore also crystalline date sugar are certainly many, here are the main ones:
- Crystalline date sugar is ideal for the production of gelato, sorbets and ice-creams, thanks to its anti-freeze property, which prevents the formation of ice crystals, making the product creamier.
- It reacts well to water and is able to retain humidity, an important characteristic for the production of bakery products, as it favors their conservation.
- Prevents crystallization and is therefore perfect for making jams, glazes and fillings.
- Enables browning (Maillard reaction) and caramelization of baked goods.
- The combination of glucose and dextrose does not change the organoleptic qualities of the products but enhances them.
- The sweetening power of fructose, naturally present in date sugar, is higher than that of sucrose, therefore, although the caloric intake is more or less the same, a smaller quantity will be enough to sweeten, reducing in this way the caloric content of the final product.
- Contains no allergens.
- Solvents are not used during the manufacturing process and is therefore free from residual solvents.
- It is not subjected to treatments with ionizing radiation.
- It is not tested on animals, is free from substances of animal origin and is therefore suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- GMO-free.
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