Wasanbon facts for kids
 |
|
| Type | Sugar |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Japan |
| Region or state | |
| Main ingredients | Sugarcane plants (taketō or chikusha) |
Wasanbon is a special type of fine-grained Japanese sugar. It's traditionally made in the Shikoku region, specifically in Tokushima and Kagawa. People have been making this sugar since the 1770s, especially in towns like Kamiita and Donari in Tokushima.
This unique sugar is often used to make traditional Japanese sweets called wagashi. Wasanbon is made from thin sugarcane plants. These plants are grown locally in Shikoku and are known as taketō or chikusha.
Contents
What is Wasanbon Used For?
Wasanbon sugar has a light golden color. Its tiny grains are a bit larger than regular icing sugar. It also has a special smell and taste, with hints of butter and honey.
People use Wasanbon in many ways:
- It's a key ingredient in making Japanese sweets and yōkan (a thick jelly dessert).
- It can sweeten your coffee or tea.
- Some sushi restaurants use it in their dipping sauces.
- It's also used for baking at home.
Some people believe that a type of Wasanbon called "awa wasanbon toh" is the very best quality.
How Wasanbon is Made
Making traditional Wasanbon sugar is a long process. It involves 8 steps and takes about 20 days in total.
Harvesting Sugarcane
The sugarcane used for Wasanbon is harvested between December and February. It's picked late in the year on purpose. This allows the sugar inside the cane to grow as much as possible. The type of sugarcane used for Wasanbon naturally produces less sugar than other types grown around the world.
Extracting the Juice
First, machines press the sugarcane to get out its juice. This juice goes into a large tank. The leftover crushed canes are not wasted; they are used to feed cattle or as fertilizer for plants.
Next, the juice is heated and boiled for about 30 minutes. During this time, a green foam appears on top. This foam is removed because it contains a bitter substance called lye.
Refining the Sugar
After boiling, the juice turns a light yellow color. It's then left to sit so that any heavy bits can settle to the bottom. The clear juice is carefully poured off. Then, it's boiled again to make it thicker and more concentrated. After this, it's cooled down.
The juice slowly turns a light brown color. It's left to sit for one week. During this time, it mostly turns into solid sugar crystals. These solid pieces are wrapped in a cloth and squeezed in a special press for a whole day. This pushes out any remaining liquid.
Washing and Drying
The sugar pieces are then washed and kneaded with water about 4 or 5 times. This process helps to make the sugar purer and whiter.
Finally, the pieces are dried quickly. This is important to stop the sugar from going bad or fermenting. Once dry, the sugar is crushed and passed through a sieve to make it into a fine powder.
See also
In Spanish: Wasanbon para niños
