I recently discovered the health- and baking benefits of using this sugar in my baking.
Here is all you need to know about it!
Quick facts about Brown rice syrup
Brown rice syrup is a sugar derived from fermented cooked rice by treating it naturally with enzymes from sprouted barley. It is free from fructose. It has a low glycemic level, and will therefore not spike your blood sugar levels the same way as white suguar does. For an overview of brown rice malt syrup compared to the other natural sugars, and details about glycemic index (GI) check out the post “All you need to know about natural sugar”.
Sweetness
It has the same sweetness as sugar.
How to use
It is great for baking, and can be replaced by refined sugar 1:1. One cup refined sugar can be replaced with one cup brown rice syrup. As it brings moist to the baking, you might have to reduce some of the other wet ingredients. The brown rice syrup will give the baked goods a crispy texture.
Nutrition facts
Brown rice syrup has a low GI of 25 whereas white sugar (sucrose) has a GI of 64. It is completely fructose- free. Brown rice syrup contains 45% maltose, 50 % soluble carbohydrates and 3 % glucose. Nutritionwise the brown rice malt syrup is high in several minerals including magnesium and phosphor, and has a 7% protein content. It also has B- vitamins (niacin and vit. B-6) that are good for your hair, nails and mental health. Recent studies from 2012 enlightens that rice products and brown rice syrup may contain traces of Arsenic from the rice. Make sure you read the labels, and avoid over consumption.
Vegan and raw friendly agave syrup
If you are eating raw make sure to go for the pure organic brown rice syrup, and read the label as commercial derived black rice malt syrup is not raw.
Where to get it
If you can’t find it in your local health store, or you live on the countryside you can always get brown rice malt syrup online. Worldwide you can buy organic brown rice syrup at for example Vitacost (use the link https://www.vitacostrewards.com/jdHckjY to get 10 dollars of your order) or on Iherb (use code GOP133 to get 10 dollars of your first buy). In Norway you can buy organic brown rice syrup online from an ecological shop named Doce Vika that ships to all Norway or from Kinsarvik naturkost. My favorite brown rice syrup are Lundbergs organic brown rice syrup, but I tend to use others swell. This is mainly because Lundbergs are doing active research on how much traces there is of arsenic in the rice products, and publish their results.
Nice post. Rice syrup is really a fantastic sweetener and I totally recommend it as the best fructose free alternative to sugar.
The arsenic contamination is a reality in rice and rice products in the North American market therefore if I was you I would totally avoid buying anything from Lundberg or any other producer from US and Canada, even if they are certified organic.
To avoid risks, look for European made rice syrups, like Clearspring, which are made in Belgium with organic barley and organic Italian brown rice.
However, the perfect syrup is the barley (bygg) malt syrup which is made with pure organic Belgium barley and free from contamination. Only two ingredients: barley + water, just perfect. It has a slightly caramelized taste which I find delicious.
Finally, be careful with the stuff you buy from US/Canada. The cheap stuff can be dangerous. American products are mostly produced with Chinese brown rice which are not only contaminated by arsenic but cadmium as well. US and Canada organic products are highly cross-contaminated by GMO crops, the water sources have been contaminated by high levels of chemicals and it is just impossible to trust the FDA as a food safety organism. I have friends in the US that have stop eating rice and many other products due to FDA cover up of contamination. The have the food industry on their heart, not the consumers.
If you are looking for Brown rice and derivatives make sure the rice is Italian or from Pakistan. All the organic brown rice we sell at our store comes from the mountains of Pakistan, the best Basmati in the world, the king of rices (we are sold out at the moment) but difficult to find in bulk.
You can find amazing European producers and suppliers in Norwegian stores and I totally recommend dropping the cheap buys from the other side of the Atlantic.
Great blog, btw!
Claudia
(Doce Vika)
Thank you for the comment, and enlightment of arsenic in rice. Brown rice syrup is a great fructose- free sweetener! I have contacted Clearsprings and they informed me a month ago that the amount of Arsenic was between 0- 500 ppb. In a a report from USA Lundbergs contained between 167- 178 ppb in total. Neither the US Food and drug administration (FDA) or the European food safety authority (EFSA) has any rules about how much is allowed in the food we consume. When it comes to price on the different organic labels they are approximately the same when buying online. On Amazon you find Clearsprings organic rice syrup for £9.96/kg or 15.9 US dollars/kg and Lundbergs organic brown rice syrup costs £12.4/kg or 19.4 US dollars/kg. As a MD I personally believe that these are small amounts (traces), so consumption of any organic brown rice syrup in small amounts is generally safe. I could absolutely use Clearspring or Lundbergs any time. But I think that openness and research about the amount of arsenic in the products we eat is crucial, and I applause that. Thanks again for your comment, Claudia!