Sugar cane is known to be useful in gastronomy. However, there are many more uses for this wonderful plant.
For example, thanks to the innovation of sugar production processes, the industry’s natural waste is being used for the manufacture of various products frequently used in the kitchen.
Yes, as you read it. Now, from sugar cane bagasse are manufactured: plates, glasses, bowls, trays and other products, with an unmatched quality and resistance.
We invite you to discover the different uses of sugar cane in the manufacture of special products for use in the restaurant, hotel and catering sectors, although they are also suitable for use in your daily life.
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Where does sugar cane come from?
It is a plant native to Southeast Asia and New Guinea. The Muslim expansion helped the plant to spread to territories where it was not cultivated
When the plant was brought to the European continent, the first places where it was obtained were the coastal area, between Malaga and Motril. Some time later, Spanish explorers took the plant to the Canary Islands and then to America
Thanks to this, the cultivation of sugar cane developed on a large scale in countries such as Panama, Peru, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Uruguay, Guatemala, Bolivia, El Salvador, Ecuador, Cuba, Colombia, Honduras, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Paraguay; which are the largest sugar producers in the world.
ABC of this sweet plant
Sugarcane is a tropical grass, that is, it is a plant that is characterized by a firm stem. Its height is between two and five meters and its diameter ranges from five to six centimeters.
The stem of this plant has a juice abundant in natural sugars, called sucrose, which is extracted and crystallized for later marketing as sugar.
The lands where this plant is cultivated are hot and sunny areas. This climate encourages photosynthesis to focus on producing the cellulose and other elements that are part of the foliage and stem support.
During its growth, the crop needs a large amount of water to absorb, transport and assimilate nutrients.
The sugarcane plant takes between 11 and 17 months to grow, depending on the type of cane and the area of cultivation
Recognized uses of sugarcane
There are several uses for this plant because of its sweetness and the nutrients it possesses. Below, we indicate which are the most recognized uses worldwide.
Sugar: the main product
To obtain sugar, after the cane is harvested, it is crushed with crumbling blades, and then it goes through a mill.
The juice that comes out when crushing the cane is purified by passing through a series of filters. The filtered juice stops a clarifier from which it is stored in vacuum cooking tanks. There the sugar is crystallized
Once crystallized, the excess water is removed and the common sugar is obtained.
Sugarcane juice
In the countries where it is grown, fresh cane is chewed. It is customary to come across the commercialization of sweet cane juice. In these businesses, the cane is crushed and filtered, and then the resulting broth is sold.
It is a refreshing drink that is served with lots of ice and a good amount of lemon to counteract the natural sweetness of the cane.
Countries like Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, where there is a sugarcane growing tradition, know this juice as guarapo de caña.
Alcoholic drinks based on cane
As we are seeing, far from what is thought, sugar cane serves for much more than just producing sugar.
One of the most recognized uses of sugarcane, after sugar production, is the production of distilled alcoholic beverages.
Among them are eau-de-vie and rum. Traditionally, sugarcane producing countries also have a thriving industry manufacturing liquors from the plant’s distillation.
Uses in medicine
Although sugarcane has a reputation for being the plant from which sugar is generated, it is also used in medicine.
This plant is very useful in the herbal industry.
It is used to prevent cardiovascular diseases and tumors, eliminates colds, helps heal wounds, helps cure indigestion and accelerates metabolism, among other benefits
Products for the catering and hotel industry
Sugarcane products are characterized by their biodegradability and environmental friendliness, as well as their durability.
Sugarcane products are frequently used by restaurant, catering and hotel companies
They are ideal for any type of event you wish to hold and surprise your guests.
In addition to being good quality products, they have an elegant and natural design. They are also suitable for use in microwaves and conventional ovens, so that heating the food is much easier and you don’t have to dirty it anymore.
At Greenuso, we have a section of biodegradable sugar cane plates and cups. We offer you, through our virtual shop, a wide range of shapes, designs and sizes of 100% eco-friendly products.
How sugar cane plates are made
During the production of the sugar we use every day, the sugar industry invested large amounts of money in the elimination of the crushed cane bagasse that was left as waste.
After years of searching for solutions, a method was devised to make use of this waste in the manufacture of various products.
Kitchen products made from sugar cane are ideal for outdoor events.
Among its main sponsors, promoters and consumers are people committed to achieving a change in the environment.
Are these utensils ecological?
They are 100% organic because they are made from sugar cane bagasse, which would have been burned as waste instead of being used for these products. In addition, they are biodegradable and compostable.
They are carbon-neutral products, that is, the carbon released by the products while they are degrading is the same as that absorbed by the plant during its growth
If it is composted, much of the carbon will remain in the compost, helping to replenish soil nutrients and aid plant growth.
This is how products made from bagasse should be disposed of
Products made from sugar cane fibres are organic, so the recommendation is to throw them away in the containers intended for this type of waste.
On the other hand, in case you want to use it as compost, you will only have to break it into small pieces and bind it to the soil of your plants. In a short time, you will see how it disappears without a trace.
Cane on the table
There is a great variety of sugar cane products that help your events to have an elegant touch while respecting the environment.
At Greenuso, we offer you the following products made from this natural material.
Plates
The biodegradable sugar cane plates are part of the most complete organic products on the market. Available in different formats, they are ideal for serving any food, from canapés, main dishes and even desserts
They are high quality and fat resistant dishes. With their composition, they are ideal for use in the microwave oven.
Thanks to its manufacturing process, the plates decompose in 180 days after disposal, without leaving any trace.
You will be surprised with the comfort, time and money savings guaranteed by the use of these disposable plates, while maintaining the elegance that distinguishes you
Glasses
Sugar cane cups are part of the products that contribute most to the environment, in a positive way
Made from the bagasse of sugar cane, they are resistant and suitable for hot drinks, withstanding up to 100 degrees centigrade.
In the market, they are recognized for being among the most ecological products. After their use, they degrade in less than 4 months.
Food packaging
Biodegradable sugar cane containers have become the most widely used ecological containers, due to their commitment to environmental care.
In Greenuso there is a diversity of sugar cane containers. Different models and shapes that adapt to any use within your kitchen and daily life.
In the virtual store, you will find everything from sugar cane boxes for hamburgers to containers for sauces. All of them with the characteristic quality that gives them their manufacturing material.
In addition, the sugar cane with which the containers are made guarantees the resistance of their structure and an adequate finish, which allows the temperature of the food served in them to be maintained.
