Brown sugar is mostly sucrose (about 85 to 92%), but it also contains varying amounts of caramel, molasses, and other impurities, which give it its characteristic flavor. The darker grades contain more of these impurities. Basically, brown sugar is regular cane sugar that has not been completely refined. However, it can also be made by adding measured amounts of these impurities to refined white sugar.
Brown sugar was, at one time, available in 15 grades that ranged from very dark to very light. Today, only two to four grades are generally available.
