Sokeria

Sokeria is the Finnish term for sugar, typically referring to the edible, crystalline carbohydrate known chemically as sucrose. In everyday Finnish, sokeria denotes the common sweetener used in foods and drinks.

Chemistry and forms: Sugar is mainly sucrose, a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose. It is produced commercially from sugar cane or sugar beet and refined to white sugar. Other common forms include brown sugar (sugar with molasses), powdered sugar (finely ground), and various syrups or raw sugars that retain different textures and flavors.

Production and supply: The refining process starts with extracting juice from the source plant, followed by purification, crystallization, and drying to produce granulated sugar. Cane sugar and beet sugar are chemically identical, with differences in trace impurities and flavor that can influence specific culinary uses.

Uses: Sokeria is used to sweeten foods and beverages, and it plays a role in baking, preserving, and flavor development through caramelization and browning reactions. It also serves as a fermentable sugar in some culinary and industrial processes.

Nutrition and health: Sugar provides energy but few or no micronutrients. Excessive intake is linked to dental caries, weight gain, and increased risk of metabolic diseases, leading dietary guidelines to advise moderation.

History and context: Sugar cane has been cultivated for millennia in tropical regions, with beet sugar becoming commercially important in temperate climates from the 19th century onward. Global production and trade have made sugar widely available, including in Nordic countries where sokeria is a common ingredient in households and cuisine.