Calories in Rock Sugar

Rock sugar, a tasty variation on traditional white sugar, is traditionally used to sweeten Chinese teas or Asian-style meat glazes, according to the Epicurious Food Dictionary. Used appropriately, this exotic ingredient can be a part of your calorie-conscious meal plan.

Sugar stick balancing on a tea cup (Image: Santje09/iStock/Getty Images)

Identification and Availability

Rock sugar made by heating white sugar until it turns golden-brown, according to the Epicurious Food Dictionary. Rock sugar has large crystals and, according to the dictionary, tends to be slightly less sweet than regular white sugar. Rock sugar is available in health food stores and via the Internet.

Calorie Counts

Rock sugar is higher in calories than white sugar. One popular brand contains 25 calories per teaspoon, according to the manufacturer's website. White granulated sugar has a mere 16 calories per teaspoon, according to Fat Secret.

Benefits

Even though rock sugar is higher in calories than granulated sugar, you might still consider looking for it. Heating sugar transforms sucrose molecules into other, more complex compounds, which gives rock sugar a fuller taste. You may find that because of its complex flavor, you don't need to use as much of it.

Considerations

Be careful not to use too much rock sugar. Not only is eating too much sugar bad for your teeth, it can also increase your risk of heart disease or stroke, which is why the American Heart Association recommends women limit their consumption of added sugars to 100 calories per day and men limit theirs to 150 calories per day.