我国古代蔗糖以油脂作添加剂为中心制作工艺考略

A study on the technology of making sucrose with grease as additive in ancient China

我国古代自东汉末年就有本土的蔗糖熬制法,然而由于技术落后,蔗糖质量不如印度地区。自唐代以来,由印度地区传入一种新的熬糖技术,我国甘蔗制糖工艺开始赶超印度地区。这种外来的熬糖技术,是在蔗汁熬煮过程中,添加油脂或蛋白质,使糖浆中的杂质上浮到表面,方便将其滤出。同时,油脂作为添加剂,还可以起到加速蔗糖结晶的作用,最后能够提取出较为纯净的沙糖。油脂在古代甘蔗制糖工艺中起到了关键作用,作为一种天然无毒的添加剂,油脂的重要作用值得继续深入探索。

In ancient China,there was a local "sugar cane juice boiling" method since the late Eastern Han Dynasty.However,the quality of sucrose was inferior to that in India because of its backward technology.In Tang Dynasty,a new technology of sucrose production was introduced from India,and China’s sugar production caught up with India.This foreign sugar technology was adding protein or grease in the sugar cane juice boiling process.It could make the impurities in the syrup float to the surface,and filter out the impurities easily.At the same time,grease as additive could also accelerate the sugar crystallization.Finally people was able to extract more pure sugar.As natural and non-toxic additive,grease played a key role in the sugar production process in ancient time.Its vital function is worthy of further exploration in Chinese scientific and technological circles.