Kokuto: The Amazing Okinawa Brown Sugar Delight!

Okinawa is known for several different foods, including Okinawa sweet potato and Shikuwasa citrus. But do you know about Okinawan brown sugar? This condiment is called “kokuto” in Japanese. It offers a deliciously unique experience compared to regular brown sugar in supermarkets.

This fantastic sugar is sometimes called “black sugar” in English. It has a complex, rich taste enhances the flavor of many Japanese sweets and snacks. It even has medicinal properties. Let’s deeply dive into kokuto, the amazing Okinawa brown sugar. 

The History and Process of Kokuto

The story of kokuto starts in the 17th Century on the tropical islands of Okinawa, close to Taiwan. Shinjo Gima, one of the “Five Great Men of Okinawa,” learned about sugar-making during his travels to China. He brought this knowledge back to Okinawa when he returned.

Following his method, the Okinawan people, known for their longevity and slow pace of life, started to slow-cook the sugar cane naturally grown on the islands without adding or taking anything from it. 

This slow cooking process means that, unlike traditional white sugar or some other cane sugars, it retains a distinct, deep, smoky flavor and the original molasses. Even the brown sugar we use in baking has had the molasses removed and put back in again. With kokuto, you can be sure it’s the “real deal”. Kokuto has a season each year, from January to March, when considered at its best. Kokuto makers swear that the sugar is at its most melt-in-your-mouth during this time.

After boiling sugarcane juice for hours, it cools naturally and breaks into cubes once dry. In Japan, you can commonly find bags of roughly cubed kokuto in sugar aisles. The appeal lies in its unrefined and pure image, even its uneven shape.

Is Okinawa brown sugar a popular ingredient?

Okinawans use the kokuto in cooking, also known for its health benefits. Brown sugar is rich in nutrients, similar to the difference between brown rice and white rice or wholemeal bread and white bread. And the numbers back it up, too. 

Kokuto has much more nutrition than refined white sugar. To specify, including over 500 times the potassium (2mg vs. 1,100mg), over 200 times the calcium, and plenty of iron. In fact, kokuto has more iron than spinach, officially classifying it as high in iron.

In Japan, many women consume a cube of kokuto during their period as a sweet source of iron. Additionally, a cube of kokuto is often added to ginger tea, an excellent remedy for coughs and colds.

Looking for a bit of sugar for a sweet tooth? Or a savory snack to go with your Okinawa brown sugar? TokyoTreat sends excellent Japanese snacks and sweets to your door to suit any taste.

What makes kokuto authentic?

Kokuto remains a significant income source for Okinawans. It’s a popular attraction in souvenir shops, available in fun shapes. The rough and ready cubes are sold worldwide. In Okinawa, Kokuto is only made on seven of the 160 islands (even though only 48 are inhabited). 

The most famous of these is Hateruma Island, the southernmost of the inhabited Okinawan islands. As it is a coral island, it produces more sugarcane, and the flavor of Hateruma sugar is even more prosperous than other islands’ brown sugar. 

The draw of kokuto is so high that there was even a trade in fake kokuto. Other brands began to sell cheaper, unrefined brown sugar, trying to pass it off as the sought-after brown sugar. The situation became so pronounced that in 1975 the Okinawa Prefecture Brown Sugar Council produced a certification for authentic brown sugar brands. 

What are the health benefits of kokuto?

In the last 20 years, kokuto has surged in popularity due to ‘foodie’ trends. Adding it to stir-fries, Japanese stews, and more enhances flavor. It makes any dish, mainly traditional Okinawan food, stand out with its rich depth.

Kokuto’s slow cooking process gives it a malty, caramel flavor with a hint of smokiness. It can transform any dish it’s in. Dieters see it as a healthier, nutrient-rich alternative to refined sugar.

And it’s not only foodies and dieters who are on the kokuto hype. Across Asia, you can find many ready-made brown sugar flavors for various products, such as brown sugar candy, pretzels, or even whey protein. 

With the rise of bubble tea, interest in brown sugar bubble tea has increased. The dark streaks of brown sugar contrast with the light color of the milk tea, making it instantly Instagrammable.

Bubble tea bars in Taiwan and beyond are selling out of their brown sugar syrup flavors, like last year’s ‘brown sugar pearl milk’ trend. Many recipes are available online for making brown sugar syrup at home (hint: add water and boil).

The kokuto trend has made its way over to the West, too. San Francisco’s ‘Black Sugar’ boba tea shop is famed for its brown sugar boba drinks and promotes the benefits of brown sugar. Whether you love bubble tea, seek a healthier alternative to sugar, or want to try new recipes, Okinawa brown sugar is an excellent choice.