Most use simple white sugar when it comes to flavoring coffee and tea, although there are plenty of other ways to sweeten our favorite hot drinks. We show what they are and how much they cost.
Most often we throw up our coffee and tea with milk, cream and various sweeteners. Most use simple white sugar, although there are plenty of other ways to sweeten our favorite hot drinks. At the same time, we can apply the sometimes more eternal truth of less to sweetening: if we realize that a large dose of sweetener is an integral part of our morning coffee, our tea, so much so that it actually determines the drink itself, don’t hesitate to change it! We do best by changing the type of coffee or tea (to better quality if possible) and reducing the amount of sweetener added
Sugar
The most popular sweetener for hot drinks. Different types of sugar have different taste profiles, which should not be taken into account when buying and using: brown cane sugar, for example, has a deeper, richer taste than the refined variety. White sugar is nothing but sweet, purified and crystallized, homogeneous granular sucrose obtained from sugar beet juice. Brown sugar is similar to refined white sugar in that it is mixed with molasses syrup during production and then dried again. Brown cane sugar is an unrefined product, produced with the aim of preserving the original molasses content of cane sugar. Molasses also has a special aroma and taste of cane sugar.
In terms of prices, sugar is the best priced sweetener available. Depending on the brand, the kilo of crystal sugar is around 220-270 forints, and the average price of brown cane sugar is around 700 forints - of course, the latter also has organic versions, at a price of up to 2900 forints per kilo.
Molasses
A bold, deep-tasting, liquid sweetener that is great for flavoring Brazilian and Colombian coffees, among others. Thick sugar syrup is a by-product of the processing of sugar beet or cane into sugar. It is less sweet than sugar, in exchange for a complex, almost smoky taste. Unlike sugar, you don’t get it in any polar convenience store, and understandably the price is much higher than that of sugar. We can get it in a 300 gram package for around 1200-1400 forints, but we can also find such a product in a seven-kilo package for around 15 thousand forints.
Honey
Honey can be used for teas and coffees. As with sugar, different honeys have a different taste profile.
In Hungary these are the most popular varieties:
Mixed flower honey: if the pollen of any plant species does not predominate in the honey, then the honey is mixed flower honey. Its color and taste depend on the ingredients.
Rape honey: crystallizes rapidly, white or ivory in color. The taste is characteristic.
Acacia honey: light golden yellow, remains liquid for a long time. The taste is mild, pleasant.
Sunflower honey: light yellow-orange, rapidly crystallizing. The taste is strong and characteristic.
Lime honey: light green, sometimes yellow. Very sweet, fruity, slightly mint. Suitable for fever, cooling, soothing.
Sweet chestnut honey: reddish brown, liquid for months. The taste is strong. It has a good effect on the cardiovascular system.
Some people choose honey as a sweetener because its health benefits are well known. If we prefer this, do not boil it in any way when making coffee or tea, as this can reduce its positive effects!
In the large chain stores we can get Hungarian honey at a very pepper price: we get flower honey at a price of 2300-2800 forints per kilo, in the case of acacia honey the price of 4-5 thousand forints is not outstanding. If we go to the market, we can find acacia honey at a price of 2600-3200 forints per kilo, mixed honey is much cheaper than this, already available around 1600-2000 forints.
Maple syrup
It is a very valuable natural sweetener, it contains many amino acids, vitamins and minerals. The taste and texture are similar to honey. They are also similar in that they contain a number of important substances with physiological effects. It is produced primarily from the sap of the sugar maple tree native to eastern North America. It is measured in both kilograms and liters. It can be found on the market at 11,600 forints per liter, but 6,000 or even 9,600 forints per kilo is not uncommon.
Stivia
One of the most popular sweeteners of natural origin. The extract is derived from the leaf of a plant called stevia rebaudiana (also referred to in Hungarian as jasmine), native to South America. The leaves of the plant contain sweet compounds that are a hundred times sweeter than sugar. In the store, you can usually find such products under the heading of table-top sweetener containing stevia, in liquid and powder form, possibly in tablet form. The liter of the liquid sweetener is around 4600-4800 forints. Looking among the tablet packs, the 74,800 forints price may seem surprising at first glance, but remember: a tiny tablet comes with the sweetening effect of a mocha sugar. As a powder, we can also find a price of HUF 24,000 per kilo.
Homemade flavored syrups
The various sugar syrups are essentially sugar solutions boiled in water. Simple syrup has a neutral taste, works well with most coffees and teas, and when used in this form has the advantage that dissolving sugar should not be a problem either. They can be easily flavored with ingredients like fruits, herbs and spices - this is best done by boiling.
Fruits
Whether we make juice, nectar from it, or use it in a pureed form, the fruit can be a tasty and natural way to sweeten tea in particular.
https://www.hellovidek.hu/eletmod/2021/02/11/inkabb-ezeket-rakd-a-kaveba-teaba-cukor-helyett-6-alternativ-megoldas-edesitesre
https://n-line.hu/spd/3088542500254/Maple-Joe-Bio-Kanadai-juharszirup-250g