Making Sugar in Tanegashima

For the next four weeks I have been invited to help make a traditional type of Japanese Sugar here on Tanegashima. On Friday I went early in the morning to help with the distillation of the sugar from freshly pressed sugarcane juice.

The type of sugar made on Tanegashima is called kokutou or kurozato. It is a unrefined sugar that has been made in the area since at least the 800s. The process that we are using has stayed the same for at least 2 generations according to the old guys I asked at the sugar making hut, but they were sure that it has been going on unchanged for much longer.

The basic process as far as I understand it goes like this.

1- Crush the year old sugar cane that has been stacked up near the crushing machine. (We dumped the leftover cane bits into a truck. I don’t know what they were going to do with it, but I imagine that it will be used for something. I’m planning on asking next time.)

2- Strain the juice into a wooden box inside the sugar hut.

3- While preparing the sugar cane juice that will be used for the day, clean the three massive metal pans that we will be using to make the actual sugar in. while you are cleaning them start building the fire in the fireplace/flue area underneath the row of pans.

4- Once the pans are determined to be clean, remove the cleaning water and add the first batch of sugar cane juice to the deepest pan which is right over the fire you light before.

5- Wait

6- Once the biggest bubbles on the top of the cane juice have popped, use a fine sieve to scoop off all of the scum. After that wait an inscrutable amount of time. Once you have waited add some milk of lime (which is made from limestone or coral, not the fruit). The amount you add is highly dependant on the conditions of the cane juice, so add a little bit at a time until you have added the right amount. The right amount was described to me as when it is a “good color and the little dots are bubbling up in the test cup.”

7- Once you are sure that it is just right, move it into the second tray and cook it down. Add a little bit to the third tray too, so the third pan is not so hot as to cause it to burn. Then add new cane juice to the first pan and start that part of the process over again.

8- Once the cane juice in the second and third pans has changed color and has become more syrup like move all of it to the third pan and begin stirring it with large metal paddles.

9- Continue stirring

10- Eventually the head of production will come over, and tell you that it is ready. When he does that, begin scooping the syrup into large bowls.

11- after busting off the small crystallized chunks in the bowls, mix the sugar to add air and help it cool evenly. Once it has cooled to the point where it has the texture of playdough and the color of curry, carry the now very hot bowl to the table room and spread out its contents on a metal table.

12- After the sugar has cooled a bit more, try some. Comment on how it tastes delicious, and then separate the big sugar spread into palm sized chunks and allow to cool down to room temp.

12- After it is mostly cool, cut it into smaller dice sized chunks and pack it into plastic bags to give or sell to friends, family and strangers.

Finished! The whole process takes about 45 minutes to an hour for one batch and we made about 6 batches together on the first day. I also was given sugar to take home. It tastes kind of like a mix between brown sugar and molasses.

What was really interesting about the whole process was that no one seemed that busy. There were times people were moving quickly to make sure that everything was moving smoothly, but the overall vibe of the day was calm and measured. Everyone was joking around and having a good time. I am looking forward to this Friday when we will be doing it all over again.