2025, the year of cassonade or brown sugar? Californian flavour manufacturer t. Hasegawa is convinced. In his latest ‘food and beverage trends’ report, he explains why this food, so rich in flavour, is going to find its way into even more of our dishes. And will become even more popular with consumers.

Nostalgia, a return to traditional flavours that evoke the world of childhood, a disenchantment with processed products: these are the factors that should make brown sugar - also known as brown cane sugar - the leading product of 2025, according to the Californian company T. Hasegawa, which has just published its annual ‘Food and Beverage Trends Report’. T. Hasegawa is a flavour development company that has placed its researchers at the service of the food and beverage industry for more than 120 years.

What has been named the flavour of the year 2025 ticks all the boxes for generations of consumers, according to T. Hasegawa. This brown, amber, unrefined sugar with a sweet, caramelised flavour offers a number of ‘health’ benefits. Thanks to the presence of molasses, brown sugar contains small quantities of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium. This sugar has a slightly lower glycaemic index than its white counterpart. It is also less subject to chemical processing than refined white sugar.

As a result, cane sugar is widely used in cooking to add a touch of sweetness to a variety of dishes. But, according to T. Hasegawa, its use is becoming increasingly popular in other areas, as a way of highlighting certain products: pies, ice creams, fried chicken and, of course, speciality coffees and teas.

 

More and more products incorporating cane sugar

In his report, T. Hasegawa expects brown sugar - defined by its colour, which comes from the presence of molasses that gives it its distinctive shade, flavour and moisture - to spread to more baked goods, sweet and savoury sauces, and a host of specialist drinks. Brown sugar has already started to make an impact in coffee shops, with the introduction of brown sugar latte and brown sugar tea latte. Bartenders have also picked up on it, as craft cocktails often rely on brown sugar to deepen flavour profiles.

‘The flavour industry is at the forefront of ever-changing consumer preferences across food and beverage categories,’ said Mark Webster, vice president of sales and marketing at T. Hasegawa U.S.A., justifying the elevation of brown sugar.

At the last edition of Gourmet Selection, half a dozen exhibitors showcased their brown sugar production. Like dried fruit producer Vijaya, which was showcasing its brown cane sugar from Paraguay and its wholegrain cane sugar from Costa Rica. Ercus, for its part, presented sugars in shapes as diverse as mini teapots, mini croissants, Christmas trees and cats. Jean Hervé presented an organic icing sugar made from brown sugar. You can also find brown sugars at Terre Exotique or at La Plantation, with its products from Cambodia.

Over the past few years, the use of brown sugar has exploded and become a common part of everyday dishes. This is what T. Hasegawa, explains that the product has become ‘popular among gourmets and culinary influencers on social media’. This is an ingredient that should be promoted even more by fine food stores. And it could also be the subject of gastronomic workshops this year.

Dry January