Why Don't They Have Liquid Sugar in the US?

I ordered an iced tea with dinner tonight, and I wondered again why, in the US, they don't have liquefied sugar for iced teas. You always get it in Japan, always. Grains of sugar don't melt as well in cold drinks. Why is that all they have here? Anyone know?

Comments

[jonathan]

I have not heard of liquid sugar before but it sounds like a good concept.

I would guess, though, that it is just a cultural thing that liquid sugar is not used in the U.S. People are set in their ways and business executives, who could potentially market liquid sugar in the U.S., see that as a potential limitation for marketing liquid sugar.

But, that's just my take on things and I could completely wrong.. :)

[jaswong]

yeah, I had it Japan, I didn't think twice that it wasn't available in other coutries

[tameguchi]

I remember getting liquid sugar with my iced tea at the West Los Angeles Curry House.

I don't recall more than a small handful of places that had the stuff.

[Scytrin dai Kinthra]

I've only ever seen it at Barefoot Coffee Roasters abouts of Santa Clara.
I stare at it with patriotic mistrust everytime I go in there. Everyone knows sugar is like a powder!

[duane]

I've never heard of liquid sugar, but in the organic/health food section of the supermarket you can find liquid stevia. I've never used it, but my wife sometimes uses the powdered kind instead of sugar.

[bokinaka]

I'm so with you on this one. Every time I futilely stir the ice tea to try and dissolve sugar in ice water, I think back to drinking successfully sweetened tea in Japan.

[RyuriFanatic]

"liquid" sugar is quite common in cafes in Asia. From what I know (personal tour of a hotel cafe's kitchen in HK), they use the commercial stuff which is the bottled sugar syrup OR like the hotel I had a tour of they made their own syrup. Something called "simple syrup" 1 parts sugar 1 parts water, cooked over heat until boiling and sugar granules are no longer visible.

[scout]

I work at a cafe in Portland, Oregon, and we have sugar syrup there. Granted, it's not in the wee awesome single-serve containers like one finds in Japan, but it's still an option at a number of places. I do wish it was more common, though, as I'm more of a tea drinker than a coffee drinker...

[chanpon]

Liquid sugar is just simple syrup (i.e., water and sugar boiled) and is often provided in nicer restaurants and cafes in their own carafes. Not sure why no one's thought to introduce this more widely in the single servings.

[Kuriharu]

Liquid Sugar/Syrup rocks. I always buy a bag or two when I'm in Japan and bring it back.

The creamers there are better, too. Half of the creamers here in the US don't dissolve that well either.

[Kuriharu]

Liquid Sugar/Syrup rocks. I always buy a bag or two when I'm in Japan and bring it back.

The creamers there are better, too. Half of the creamers here in the US don't dissolve that well either.

[Sara no H.]

Peet's Coffee and Tea houses have it -- it's called "simple syrup" and it's really easy to do yourself. If the place you're at doesn't offer it, just ask for a sample cup of hot water (the same temperature used for tea), and pour as much sugar as water into it. Mix. Voila!

[kungfupiggy]

Yeah, I was upset about that when I had my first ice tea in America. What I do now is to also ask for a small cup of hot water to make it myself.

I think I have the answer to your question. (in a freakonomics kinda way)

Liquid sugar spoil easily. They can be infested with germs in short period. They also crystallize if left unused and evaporated.

In Japan and high density urban cities, it's fine to use liquid sugar because the turn over rate is higher. In America, many people order hot coffee, soda, juices and pre-sweetened drinks. Few ask for ice tea. The liquid sugar will be spoiled before it's used up. Thus not economical.

Individual packets of liquid sugar would solve the shelf-life problem, but they take up more space and more expensive. Ice tea just isn't something people would pay extra money for.

This "answer" came to me when I saw a dead fly in a jar of liquid sugar...

[marsidotes55]

There is a new Product... liquid sugar in port-a-packs. It's called Kelly's Delight, and is produced by the Linstrom Corporation, out of Texas.
Patrick Linstrom is the CEO. I believe they have a website. Think they're being distributed through Diamond Crystal corporation.