Mario Freitas Apr 11, 2016:

Good to know, Nick I do this all the time with chicken (also witha bit of cinnamon), but I didn't know it would have a positive effect with sausages (linguiça in BR in this case) and bacon as well. I'll try that next time.

Nick Taylor Apr 11, 2016:

Only SLIGHTLY off topic! When you are grilling "Brazilian" sausages (That's what they call 'em in Pt) sprinkle a little Caster Sugar over them! But dont overdo it! The same with Smoked Bacon! it is a little trick I learned off a Thai friend of mine! it is excellent! try it! And ....wait for it.....you know that acid tongue burn you sometimes get from Pineapple! Sprinkle some SALT on it! Yes you heard right SALT! It sort of MILDIFIES the acid!

Charles Davis Apr 11, 2016:

That's the kind of information I was interested in. Thanks!

Mario Freitas Apr 11, 2016:

@ Charles, If you go to a supermarket in Brazil, you'll basically find four kinds of sugar (real sugar from sugar-cane or beats): (1) Refinado (white refined sugar - caster sugar) is the most commonly used/sold; (2) Cristal (granulated sugar), said to be better for health, and widely used as well, but mostly to make coffee or bake, since it takes more effort to mix with water, so people are lazy and prefer the "refined" version; (3) Mascavo (brown sugar), quite different and worse quality than the American brown sugar, but for the same purposes, early stage of refinements or not refined at all; (4) Confeiteiro (cenfectioner's), the finest one, used mainly to ornament cakes, cookies, etc. Not usually found in houses, unless you have a good cake maker at home.
You won't find coarse sugar for sale in Brazil. Only coarse salt (used for barbecue). It's possible to find sugar in larger bocks, the size of candies, but we know these are made with refined sugar, not a natural process.
BTW, none of the information above is based on scientific info. It's all out of my head.

Charles Davis Apr 11, 2016:

@Mario I meant to ask before: is "açúcar cristal" basically what you buy in Brazil if you want "white" sugar? I mean, are products called "açúcar branco" or "açucar granulado (refinado)" widely sold (not just available in specialist shops but basic shopping-cart products)? If not, it reinforces the case for treating "açúcar cristal" as Brazilian "white sugar", even if it's not literally white.

Mario Freitas Apr 11, 2016:

@ Nick, You'll have to catch a plane and visit some retails in Brazil. The "açúcar cristal" is all over, and we have about 30 different brands. When you're done, please give me a call and we'll have a beer (no sugar).

Nick Taylor Apr 11, 2016:

I visited two retail outlets in the greater Lisbon area (C*ontinente & P*ngo D*oce) As far as on the shelf products "açúcar cristal" DOES NOT EXIST! However I intend to broaden my search as far as J*mbo! I can hardly wait! What surprises will my search yield!!!!! Any suggestions for other S*permarkets?

Nick Taylor Apr 9, 2016:

Crystal Sugar I must admit when I saw açúcar cristal the first thing that came to mind was literally crystal sugar
https://www.beanilla.com/brown-rock-crystal-sugar
and
https://www.google.pt/search?q="crystal sugar"&tbm=isch&tbo=...
In spite of virtually all sugars consisting of crystals of some sort or other.
https://www.google.pt/search?q=magnified sugar crystal&biw=1...
These crystals take ages to disolve in coffee - quite a ritual really!

Matheus Chaud (asker) Apr 8, 2016:

@Nick, @Charles @Nick,
Your gut feeling was right!! That's a very tricky question...

That's a very interesting glossary, but many kinds of sugar aren't listed here (brown sugar, for example). Maybe the kinds of sugar aren't a priority there.
https://www.mkexportinternational.net/products/icumsa-45-sug...
Even so, I will keep that glossary for future reference. Thanks!

Invert sugar really looks like açúcar cristal, but the manufacturing process seems to be different (I read about it very quickly).


@Charles,
I agree with you - granulated sugar works well in many occasions (fortunately, in my situation it works well too).
I like your suggestion of using the name in Portuguese with an explanatory note, in cases where a distinction is necessary. That's good advice! Thanks.

Nick Taylor Apr 8, 2016:

And dont get me started on on C12H24O12! Those extra 2 Hs and the extra O! Oh boy! What a kerfuffle!
https://www.mkexportinternational.net/products/icumsa-45-sug...
And this site is the bee's knees and they dont even mention granulated in the glossary.
http://www.sugartech.com/definitions/index.php
Why use it? Invert sugar has a lot of desirable properties in baked goods and other processed foods. The sugar crystals in invert sugar are smaller than sucrose, which results in a smoother texture of the final product. The smaller crystals also dissolve faster than sucrose crystals. Invert sugar retains moisture better and improves shelf life. As little as 10-15% of invert sugar mixed with sucrose markedly reduces crystallization in the final product, resulting in longer shelf life as well. All the reasons that manufacturers like HFCS apply to invert sugar.

Charles Davis Apr 8, 2016:

I think that if you ever found yourself translating a document in which the difference between "açúcar cristal" and pure white granulated sugar was an issue, you would probably have to use the Portuguese term and add a note saying that it's partially unrefined white sugar, or something. But that would be a special case.

Charles Davis Apr 8, 2016:

@Matheus I think the community has effectively spoken already, and the consensus is that "granulated sugar" is at least the functional equivalent. I am not really a member of that community, since my knowledge of Portuguese is fairly rudimentary and I have no experience of life in Brazil, so I don't want to post an answer.

And anyway, as a matter of fact açúcar cristal is undoubtedly granulated sugar in a literal sense. It's just that it's not quite like what most English speakers understand by the expression "granulated sugar", which is pure, paper-white, 100% sucrose. So if, for the sake of argument, outsiders bought açúcar cristal, expecting granulated sugar, they might think it looks a bit off-colour. But really we don't seem to have a product marketed in English-speaking countries that is exactly the same. And for most purposes, unless you're writing for the sugar industry, the difference, such as it is, probably doesn't matter.

Nick Taylor Apr 8, 2016:

I knew it Matheus! You're a bad boy!
This is just the C12H22O11 version of the BOLT/SCREW! :-)

Matheus Chaud (asker) Apr 8, 2016:

Tem razão, Mario Mario, você tem razão. Verifiquei rapidamente o tamanho dos cristais de cada tipo de açúcar (não sei porque não pensei nisso antes!):
- o "coarse sugar" tem cristais na faixa de 600-800 mícrons segundo uma referência, e 800-1200 mícrons segundo outra referência
- o açúcar cristal parece estar na faixa de 540 mícrons
- o granulated sugar varia demais: vai desde 250 a 1050 mícrons. Portanto, cobre também o açúcar cristal. Vai ser essa a saída então!

https://books.google.com.br/books?id=XPNgBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1165&...

http://www.britishsugar.co.uk/files/productpdfs/screened_sug...


Só pra fechar a história, o problema é que essa faixa de tamanho do "granulated sugar" abrange tanto o "açúcar refinado" quanto o "açúcar cristal". Em outras palavras, é bem difícil fazer a distinção entre "açúcar refinado" e "açúcar cristal" em inglês. Como eu não preciso fazer essa distinção no meu texto, pois só aparece o açúcar cristal, para mim está de bom tamanho!

Mario Freitas Apr 8, 2016:

Mats, O "coarse sugar" tem grãos do tamanho dos grãos do sal grosso. Não é o açúcar cristal que compramos no supermercado. Veja as imagens do Gugu e você vai ver que se comprar o "granulated sugar" num supermercado dos EUA, levará para casa o açúcar cristal. Se comprar uma caixa de "coarse sugar" vai chegar em casa com um negócio que só derrete na água fervendo e que não está à venda aqui no Brasil.
Apenas para constar dos autos: O Gabriel havia sugerido "granulated sugar" também, um minuto depois do Cláudio, e removeu sua sugestão para não ficar igual à do Cláudio. Pela quantidade de "agrees", acho que você deveria considerar a opinião da maioria.
Abraçations.

Matheus Chaud (asker) Apr 8, 2016:

Definitions Putting things together (info that you guys sent me):

Granulated or white sugar = highly refined cane or beet sugar.
www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/sugar/

Açúcar cristal = Açúcar em forma cristalina produzido diretamente em usina, sem refino

So, granulated sugar cannot be the same as açúcar cristal. Açúcar cristal isn't refined.


And looking at this

https://illustratedbites.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/hey-sweeti...

I really think that coarse sugar is the closest equivalent to açúcar cristal.

If I am wrong, please let me know!

Thank you all once again.

Matheus Chaud (asker) Apr 8, 2016:

I still don't know...

Comparing this

https://illustratedbites.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/hey-sweeti...

and this

https://www.google.com.br/search?q=açúcar cristal&num=30&esp...

I think Charles is right... granulated sugar seems to have gone one step further in processing, compared to açúcar cristal. It seems to me that "coarse sugar" is the equivalent to "açúcar cristal". I think "granulated" is equivalent to "refinado" (= "refinado granulado").

I may be wrong, of course.

Charles, don't you want to post your suggestion for evaluation by our colleagues?

Mario Freitas Apr 8, 2016:

No big deal! Matheus is right. We must consider the processing stages. The "cristal" type of sugar is one step after the brown sugar, and one step before the most common fine sugar (refinado). It's the regular "granulated sugar", no mystery, no big deal.

Charles Davis Apr 7, 2016:

The illustration I think Matheus is talking about is Figura 2.1 here:
http://www.ebah.com.br/content/ABAAAAQ0oAE/alcool-acucar-uni...

The descriptions and pictures of açúcar cristal I find show that (a) it's less white and refined that white/granulated sugar (refinado granulado or branco) though more than turbinado/demerara, and (b) it has large, transparent grains.

"c) Açúcar cristal: Açúcar em forma cristalina produzido diretamente em usina, sem refino. Muito utilizado na indústria alimentícia na confecção de bebidas, massas, biscoitos e confeitos." (from above page)

"Açúcar cristal: com cristais grandes e transparentes, difíceis de serem dissolvidos em água. Depois do cozimento passa apenas por um refinamento leve, que retira 90% dos sais minerais."
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Açúcar

"Decorating or coarse sugar (also called sugar crystals or crystal sugar) has granules about four times larger than those of regular granulated sugar. It's used for decorating baked goods and can be found in cake-decorating supply shops and gourmet markets."
http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/sugar/index.html

http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Decorator's_sugar

Matheus Chaud (asker) Apr 7, 2016:

Very High Polarization Sugar Now things are getting interesting: according to the link below, açúcar cristal is an intermediate between Very High Polarization Sugar and Very Very High Polarization Sugar (whatever that is!). Is there a name for that kind of sugar in English??

Matheus Chaud (asker) Apr 7, 2016:

Processing stages Thank you everyone for the discussion!

I believe it could be interesting to think about the processing stages: "açúcar cristal" is the next one in the processing sequence after brown sugar (açúcar mascavo) and turbinado sugar (açúcar demerara). This picture is very interesting:

https://www.google.com.br/search?q=açúcar cristal&num=30&esp...

I haven't checked the meaning of VHP and VVHP in the picture of the link above.

Açúcar cristal is not brown or light brown, but it is not so white yet. It is sort of transparent, I think.
The grains of açúcar cristal aren't so fine as icing sugar, for example (it is relatively coarse, compared to icing sugar).

Nick Taylor Apr 7, 2016:

Hi Muriel I already posted it :-)

Muriel Vasconcellos Apr 7, 2016:

Preserving sugar I forgot the link for 'preserving sugar': https://www.silverspoon.co.uk/products/baking-and-cooking/pr...

Muriel Vasconcellos Apr 7, 2016:

Other options Since I don't know what "nosso açucar cristal" is like, I can't post an answer, but in the US we have 'rock sugar', 'coarse/raw sugar', 'turbinado sugar', 'preserving sugar'.

Rock sugar is very coarse. It is used in tea. See photo at: http://www.amazon.com/Teavana-30292-016-Perfectea-Rock-Sugar...

For the rest, see: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/types-of-sugar/

Bett Apr 7, 2016:

the thing is that in Brazil the is only one granulation "cristal", but there is no difference between fine and super fine...
One can make 'doce de abobora" but then one would have to find "queijo de minas" to go wiht it...

Tom Jamieson Apr 7, 2016:

US vs UK I believe that caster sugar is a British term for what the US generally calls fine or superfine granulated sugar. It's a grey area in US English because granulated sugar can be of varying sizes, and açúcar cristal/caster sugar is specifically the fine type.

Nick Taylor Apr 7, 2016:

Yeah you're right! I just finished my PhD and I aint got nuthin better to do at the moment! Sigh!

Nick Taylor Apr 7, 2016:

This is going to turn into a Bolt/screw debacle... I am sure! I have kinda rethunk my answer after reading the Pt description of "açúcar cristal" and if these descriptions are anyrhing to go by it is ........ "drum roll" PRESERVING SUGAR!
https://www.silverspoon.co.uk/products/baking-and-cooking/pr...
NEVERTHELESS I am going out tomorrow to buy some "açúcar cristal" if I can find any and draw my own conclusions! Then I will decide what to do with it.....make a cake, decorate a cake, sprinkle it on doughnuts, makes some jam, put it in coffee, put it in tea, OH MY! The list is almost endless. Hmmmmm!

Luciano Eduardo de Oliveira Apr 7, 2016:

Por esta foto, está mais para granulated: http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-How-to-make-Caster-and-P...