Nib sugar (also pearl sugar and hail sugar) is a product of refined white

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

. The sugar is very coarse, hard, opaque white, and does not melt at temperatures typically used for baking. The product usually is made by crushing blocks of white sugar, then sifting to obtain fragments of a given diameter. The sugar may also be made in an

extrusion Extrusion is a process used to create objects of a fixed cross section (geometry), cross-sectional profile by pushing material through a Die (manufacturing), die of the desired cross-section. Its two main advantages over other manufacturing pro ...

process. It is known as ''pärlsocker'' (pearl sugar) in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, and as ''perlesukker'' in

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

and

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. In

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

, it is called ''raesokeri'' ("hailstone sugar") or rarely ''helmisokeri'' (also pearl sugar). In Sweden, ''pärlsocker'' is used extensively to decorate various

pastries Pastry refers to a variety of doughs (often enriched with fat or eggs), as well as the sweet and savoury baked goods made from them. The dough may be accordingly called pastry dough for clarity. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bak ...

and

confection Confectionery is the art of making confections, or sweet foods. Confections are items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates, although exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confections are divided into two broad and somew ...

cookie A cookie is a sweet biscuit with high sugar and fat content. Cookie dough is softer than that used for other types of biscuit, and they are cooked longer at lower temperatures. The dough typically contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of ...

s, especially on top of plain Swedish ''bulle'' or Finnish ''

pulla Cardamom breads, including the Finnish (or ) and Swedish and , are a group of enriched breads or pastry flavored with cardamom. They are eaten throughout the year, typically with coffee or tea. Cardamom is a spice used in several Nordic cou ...

'',

cake Cake is a flour confection usually made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elabor ...

muffin A muffin or bun is an individually portioned baked product; however, the term can refer to one of two distinct items: a part-raised flatbread (like a crumpet) that is baked and then cooked on a griddle (typically unsweetened), or a (often sw ...

s and

bun A bun is a type of bread that is round and small enough that it can generally be eaten hand-held. Whether a bun is considered sweetened or unsweetened differs between countries: it is considered sweetened in the United Kingdom, a savory bread in ...

s, such as '' kanelbullar'' (

cinnamon bun A cinnamon roll (also known as cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl, cinnamon scroll, cinnamon Danish and cinnamon snail) is a sweet roll commonly served in Northern Europe (mainly in Nordic countries, but also in Austria, Estonia, The Netherlands and ...

s) and ''

chokladboll The oatmeal ball () or the chocolate ball () is a type of unbaked pastry that is a popular Danish and Swedish confectionery. Oatmeal balls consist of oatmeal, sugar, cocoa, vanilla sugar, butter, and sometimes a small amount of coffee mixed ...

ar''. In

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, it is known as ''Hagelzucker'' ("hail sugar") and traditionally used on Christmas cookies and cinnamon buns. In

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, it is used in Liège waffles, while in

Friesland Friesland ( ; ; official ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia (), named after the Frisians, is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen (p ...

, it is used in '' sûkerbôle'' (sugar bread). In France, it is often used on ''

chouquette ''Chouquettes'' () or ''petits choux'' are small pieces of French patisserie consisting of small spheres of choux pastry, sugared and baked. The term was known in the 16th century, and was originally applied to small savoury spheres. Since the ...

s''. In

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, it can be found on

Colomba Pasquale ''Colomba pasquale'' () or ''colomba di Pasqua'' () () is an Italian traditional Easter bread, the Easter counterpart of the two well-known Italian Christmas desserts, panettone and ''pandoro''. The dough for the ''colomba pasquale'' is made ...

References

External links

* {{Sugar Types of sugar Danish cuisine Finnish cuisine Norwegian cuisine Swedish cuisine Dutch cuisine de:Zucker#Form und Körnung