[Sca-cooks] Sugar sponge

[Terry Decker]

The process for turbinado would be to spin the spin the sugar in some form 
of container and inject steam into the container to remove non-sucrose 
particles.  It is not necessarily a process that would require a steam 
turbine engine, which is a different critter mechanically.  I do suspect 
that the process is 20th Century and developed in Hawaii (with the caveat 
that I have no clinching evidence for either assertion).

There is some evidence turbinado process is a modern variant of an earlier 
washing technique for sugar, but I don't have enough details to determine 
whether the process referred to is the slow moisture cleaning done in 
claying or a different kind of washing.  Claying was the common medieval and 
renaissance technique.  If there is a different washing technique, then it 
may not be pre-17th Century.

Bear

>    Kitchen Dictionary: turbinado sugar
>    <http://www.recipezaar.com/library/getentry.zsp?id=45>.
>
> http://www.recipezaar.com/library/getentry.zsp?id=45
> states:
>
> "The term turbinado comes from the technique used in the making of this 
> sugar. The sugar
> is spun in a cylinder or turbine. Turbinado sugar is brown looking like 
> brown, but paler in
> color with a subtle molasses flavor. It can be used in recipes that call 
> for brown sugar.
> Two popular brand names for turbinado sugar are: Muscavado and Demerara."
> Other sources uphold Terry's statement that turbinado sugar is not the 
> same as
> Muscavado and Demerara but if we are talking about sugar spun by steam 
> turbine engines
> aren't we talking about sugar processing technical changes that begin in 
> the late 19th or early
> 20th century ?
> My queries have to do with food items not later than Nola. I just don't 
> think Mr. Nola
> would buy that one that type. . .
> Suey