What are Sugar Syrups?

Sugar syrups are liquids made by dissolving sugar in water, creating a sweet solution used to sweeten foods and drinks. Specific types of sugar syrups are defined by the EU, incl. invert sugar syrup, glucose syrup, and dried glucose syrup. These are recognised as different syrup products based on their sugar composition and how they are processed, all of which are legally defined under the EU rules for sugars.

We have 3 different types of sugar syrups.

1) Invert Sugar Syrup

This type of syrup is a sugar solution in which more than half of the dry matter consists of invert sugars (glucose and fructose). In simple terms, this is a thicker, highly inverted sugar syrup where the sugar composition is weighted more toward glucose and fructose than sucrose.

The purpose of this type of sugar syrup is to control the sweetness of your drinks. 1 ladle = 50% sweetness, 2 ladles = 100%.

Our invert sugar syrup is produced in the EU, according to European standards. As it's produced in the EU, it offers a longer shelf life compared to Taiwanese-imported syrups.

This syrup is vegetarian, vegan, Halal, and Kosher-certified.

2) Cane Sugar Syrup

According to the USDA’s sugar glossary, cane sugar is defined as sugar derived directly or indirectly from sugarcane. This includes sugar produced from sugarcane juice or molasses that was originally extracted from sugarcane.

The purpose of this syrup is the same as above; to control the sweetness of your drinks. Our cane sugar syrup is vegetarian, vegan and Halal-certified. It also has no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or sweeteners.

3) Brown Sugar Syrup

Based on research, brown sugar syrup is a thick, sweet liquid made by dissolving brown sugar in water. Brown sugar is different from white sugar because it still contains molasses. Molasses is the syrupy part of the sugarcane that gives brown sugar its colour, moisture, and rich caramel-like flavour.

We offer two types of brown sugar syrup, each with a different purpose. The first is a mix-in syrup, designed to be stirred into a hot base like tea or water to add a rich, caramel-like flavour. This is perfect for making drinks like classic brown sugar milk tea, where the syrup blends throughout the drink.

The second is a decorative syrup, thicker and stickier, used for creating the iconic brown sugar stripes along the cup. Instead of mixing in, this syrup is smeared on the inside of the cup before adding the drink, giving your beverage a visually striking look and that signature taste in every sip.

Unsure about which sugar syrup to use for what? Watch the video below.

What are Flavoured Syrups?

There isn't a EU regulation that officially defines “flavoured syrups“. However, data shows that when flavours, essences, or colourings are added to sugar syrups, the product falls into an EU tariff category called “flavoured or coloured sugar syrups“.

As you might have guessed, the purpose of these syrups is to add flavour. Specifically to fruit bubble teas. We stock many different flavours, so have a scroll through our range.

Why syrup is better than regular sugar

The primary reason that syrup is preferable to sugar when making bubble tea drinks is that it is much easier to mix and distribute evenly throughout the drink. When using syrup, there is not the same risk of grainy drinks as there is with sugar, which is unpredictable in its dissolving. Moreover, syrup is easy to measure and dispense with 10ml pumps, a streamlined process which is not possible with sugar.

We are passionate about great bubble tea! If you are interested in finding out what Taipec can do for you, contact us today.