what is Muscovite sugar?

Muscovado is a type of unrefined sugar with a strong molasses flavour. It is also known as Barbados or moist sugar. It is very dark brown in color, and slightly coarser and stickier than most brown sugars. Unlike most brown sugars, which are composed of refined white sugar with molasses added, muscovado takes its flavor and color from the sugar cane juice it is made from. It offers good resistance to high temperatures and has a reasonably good shelf life. The unrefined sugar goes well with coffee and other beverages, and was one of the most prominent export commodities of the Philippines in the 1800s.

Related types of raw sugars include Jaggery, Demerara (sugar), and Turbinado sugar.

Muscavado sugar is a natural unrefined (white sugar is refined) sugar from sugarcane. It's brown in color, and has similar properties to common (refined) brown sugar you can buy at any grocery store. It's moister than regular brown sugar, but more flavorful, as it retains all of the vitamins and minerals found in sugarcane.

If a recipe calls for muscavado sugar, a dark brown sugar (refined, store-bought) can be used as a substitute.