Ingredient Name: Sugarcane, sugar cane
Traditional Chinese Name: 蔗 (zhè)
What is this?
- A type of grass that measures 2-6 feet tall
- Stalky and thick (varying in 1-2 inches in diameter) that is high in sugar content
- Produced mainly in Brazil, India, and China
- Used to make sugarcane juice, refined sugars, syrups and ethanol
How do I prepare it?
- Sugarcane can be used raw directly in soups and drinks
- Chop into usable lengths (and halve if necessary)
- Wash with warm water before usage
Where can I buy this?
- Fresh sugar cane is common in both Asian supermarkets and wetmarts in Hong Kong
What is the cost?
- Sugarcane is relatively affordable – with a pack of 10 x 1-foot long canes costing around $10 HKD
Any benefits?
- Complete 100% natural sugars (sweetener that is unrefined)
- Ideal in treating sore throats, colds and flus
- Contains only simple sugars and therefore can be consumed by diabetics safely
- Sugarcanes are rich in carbohydrates and helps strengthen heart, lungs, kidneys, eyes and brains
Any precautions?
- Moderation of consumption should still apply as heavy consumption can lead to weight gain and type 2 diabetes
- Raw sugar cane juice is also said to contain a high content of bacteria (mainly in Asia) due to how it is stored.
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