Hateruma Island Crushed Brown Sugar (Kokutou)

The one-note sweetness of generic refined white sugar does nothing to prepare you for the intensely flavorful, almost savory taste of this artisan crushed brown sugar. The complexity and nuance intrinsic to Japan’s Kokuto (or black sugar, also translated as brown sugar) are a veritable awakening of the taste buds. Earthy notes of molasses are joined by a subtle undertone of tobacco to form a beguiling flavor profile that’s both smokey and intense. Highly prized in Japanese cooking for its rich flavor Hateruma Island crushed sugar is excellent in both savory and sweet applications. Use our gourmet sugar as a smoky alternative to dark brown sugar, or take advantage of its spicy, bitter notes to add depth to savory recipes.

Only eight islands within the Japanese archipelago produce what has come to be known as Okinawan brown sugar, and each of them is uniquely different. Made by slow-cooking sugarcane juice in a centuries-old production method, this technique intensifies and enhances the natural terroir intrinsic to each island, giving the black sugar they produce their own characteristic flavor profile. From among these gourmet sugars, Hateruma island has risen to the top for its perfect balance of deeply savory-sweet flavors. A great addition to many savory dishes such as braises, broths, noodle soups, stir-fries, hot pots, and sushi rice, you’ll find no end of delicious applications for this very special sugar.