Tensai ~Sugar Beat~

 Do you know Tensai？This is an ingredient from Hokkaido.
This is delicious to eat as it is but it becomes even more delicious when processed. Tensai is called sugar beet in English.

 

I think that you can imagine what it is like by its name, it is processed into sugar. From here, I will explain about sugar beet. It is a plant that is a raw material for sugar.

 

When we think of sugar, we think of sugar millet, but in European countries such as France and Germany, sugar means sugar beet. Lesser known is that sugar made from sugar beet accounts for about 30 percent of the world's sugar consumption and about 25 percent in Japan.

 In addition, it is processed only in Hokkaido. Since it is mainly sold in Hokkaido for household use, it is not well known nationwide, but sugar shipped for commercial use reaches people all over the country through chocolate, confectionery, beverages, etc. Also, it looks like a radish or a turnip, but surprisingly it belongs to the same family as spinach in terms of classification.

 

Let me introduce a little about how sugar beet is produced. 

In early spring, when there is still a lot of snow, seeds are sown, seedlings are grown, and after the snow melts, they are transplanted to the fields, grow after a short summer, and reach the autumn of harvest.

 

From here, I will introduce the history of sugar beet.

 

Sugar beet sugar was discovered in 1747, about 250 years ago. German chemist Margraf succeeded in separating sugar from sugar beet roots. Sugar beet is native to the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus region and is said to have been used as feed for livestock. The world's first sugar beet factory was established in 1801.

 

That is interesting! Why don’t you eat sugar beet?