Ingredient Name:  Sugarcane, sugar cane

Traditional Chinese Name: 蔗 (zhè)

What is this?

• A type of grass that measures 2-6 feet tall
• Stalky and thick (varying in 1-2 inches in diameter) that is high in sugar content
• Produced mainly in Brazil, India, and China
• Used to make sugarcane juice, refined sugars, syrups and ethanol

How do I prepare it?

• Sugarcane can be used raw directly in soups and drinks
• Chop into usable lengths (and halve if necessary)
• Wash with warm water before usage

Where can I buy this?

• Fresh sugar cane is common in both Asian supermarkets and wetmarts in Hong Kong

What is the cost?

• Sugarcane is relatively affordable – with a pack of 10 x 1-foot long canes costing around $10 HKD

Any benefits?

• Complete 100% natural sugars (sweetener that is unrefined)
• Ideal in treating sore throats, colds and flus
• Contains only simple sugars and therefore can be consumed by diabetics safely
• Sugarcanes are rich in carbohydrates and helps strengthen heart, lungs, kidneys, eyes and brains

Any precautions?

• Moderation of consumption should still apply as heavy consumption can lead to weight gain and type 2 diabetes
• Raw sugar cane juice is also said to contain a high content of bacteria (mainly in Asia) due to how it is stored.

Resources

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarcane