Perhaps in your countries are other products available. But I thought, perhaps it is interesting for you to read my tastings. And perhaps you want to do first an inspiring shopping tour through your local Asian markets after reading, instead of simply ordering something online.
I avoided to buy refined sugar with added molasses, only unrefined sugar.
The candydates
:
The differences are very strong. I don't know why. I think mostly because of the variable pressing and drying process.From the left to the right:
1. Typical sugar from an organic food market here (not labeled where produced). The taste is nice, molasses and bread flavor, and a bit fresh sourness, but not very intense.
2. Also from an organic food market. Muscovado sugar from the Philippines. Darker and more taste than No.1. But I have expected more.
3. From China. This one I like most. Very intense. Molasses, dark rye bread, honey and a bit fresh sourness.
4. From Korea. Not bad. But although very dark way less interesting than No.2 or 3. Because of the nice looking even crystals I have the suspicion, that it is probably refined sugar with added molasses. Real raw cane sugar is more like sand normally.
5. Panela from Columbia. I had to order it online. Good quality and intense.
6. Jaggery from China. Not very interesting, but nice. Easy sweet, like candy for kids. Not the best ingredient for flavorful Rum I think.
7. Dark jaggery from India. The most intense taste of all here. But a really ugly off-taste too. A bit like fish... In Asian markets they sell a lot of seafood. Perhaps this sugar blocks were shipped in a container with dried octopus...
8. Gurr (Jaggery) from Pakistan. Although not very dark, a really nice and intense taste. Less molasses, but a very nice caramel. The best of the light colored ones (No.1, 6,
.I would make either a Rum from No.3 or alternatively No.5.
Or a more gentle rum from No.8.
No.7 would be an experiment, perhaps the off-taste disappears somewhere on the long way from the market to the tumbler.