Czech cuisine uses different types of sugar for its elaborate desserts. The Czech Sugar Guide will help you navigate through all the common and less common types and some of the sugar substitutes.
Sugar (cukr in Czech) is a common sweetener in the Czech republic, and there are different types to fit the needs of especially the confectioners, although sugar is sometimes used also in savory recipes. Trouble navigating through the Czech flour types? Read the Czech Flour Guide.
Table of Contents
Czech Sugar Guide – Most common sugar types and sugar substitutes
According to coarseness
Variety of coarseness of sugar is important especially for the preparation of desserts. You will find all of the following in any Czech grocery store and they’ll be referenced in the cookbooks, as well.
Krystal
This is the coarse-grained sugar type. Its crystals can be easily separated by hand. Our grandmothers’ sugar bowls were usually filled with crystal and you can get intense sweet taste from a smaller amount than with other sugar types. There is also extra coarse crystal sugar. This type is perfect for marmalades, jams, syrups, canning food as it needs longer time to dissolve, sweetening your tea and it’s also often used by beekeepers and producers of cotton candy. You might know it as sanding sugar, although it doesn’t come in bright colors in the Czech Republic. You might also find this coarse sugar under the names table sugar or regular sugar. Best for: sweetening tea and coffee, decoration, streusel, fermenting
Krupice
Cukr krupice is a less coarse granulated sugar type, in coarseness probably the most comparable to the sugar found all over the world. When Czech recipes call for sugar and don’t specify that it’s the powder sugar, they mostly call for this type. You can also use this type of sugar everywhere you’d use the krystal and it’s also typical to make yeast dough starters. Cukr krupice is the superfine sugar in the USA and caster sugar in Great Britain. Other English names for this type of sugar are baking sugar and baker’s sugar. Best for: desserts such as Vánočka or Koláče, sweetening tea and coffee
Moučka/Moučkový/Mletý
You can find the finest sugar under the names cukr moučka, moučkový cukr or mletý cukr (the latter is usual especially in older cookbooks). It’s the so-called confectioner’s sugar or powder(ed) sugar and it’s sugar ground to powder and usually mixed with anti-caking agent and/or corn starch or potato starch. Moučka is perfect for recipes that require smooth dough as well as for dusting your desserts with (see Buchty or Makovec). You might also know this type as dusting sugar or icing sugar. Best for: creams, icing, frosting, dusting and coating desserts (Vanilla Crescents)
Sugar cubes
Did you know that sugar cubes are a Czech invention? Before that, sugar came in tall cones and whoever wanted a piece of sugar would need a hammer or a crowbar. After the wife of Jakub Kryštov Rad, director of the Dačice sugar refinery hurt her hand by trying to get a piece of the cone, he invented this much more practical shape and size. Sugar cubes come in cubes, rectangles and card suits (diamonds, spades, hearts and clubs). Best for: sweetening tea and coffee
According to color
White
White sugar made from beetroot is the predominant type in the Czech Republic in all types of coarseness.
Brown
Brown sugar comes in different shades depending on the molasses content and is of different plant origin, it can be both beet and cane sugar.
According to plant
Among the most common sugar types you can find in Czech stores are: cane sugar, beet sugar, coconut sugar and palm sugar.
Other types
There are several types of sugar that are unusual in the Czech Republic but due to the increasing demand on foreign specialties, they can be found in stores, typically under their english name. Such sugar types are, for example, demerara sugar (also třtinový cukr demerara), turbinado sugar or muscovado sugar,
Sugar substitutes
Honey
Honey is very popular in the Czech Republic and also very accessible. Not only are there many small and large local producers but there are also many beekeeping fans and you can get honey from your neighbors in the countryside.
Stevia-based
There are many stevia-based sweeteners in form of powder, pills and drops. Xylitol Xylitol comes in form of powder and can be usually purchased in the so-called “healthy food stores”. Erythritol Erythritol comes in form of powder and can be usually purchased in the so-called “healthy food stores”. Syrups There are many types of syrups such as date or maple, although the only one that’s significantly healthier than the others you can get in Czech stores, is the chicory syrup.
