Kuromitsu Recipe (Japanese Black Sugar Syrup)

Kuromitsu is a Japanese black sugar syrup used as a dessert topping. Although the name literally translates to black sugar in English, it is often also interchangeably called a brown sugar syrup. This is the same brown sugar syrup that can be used with mochi, shave ice, ice cream, and boba! My kuromitsu recipe uses only three ingredients and takes five minutes to make. You’ll have fresh Asian desserts in no time!

What is Kuromitsu?

Kuromitsu is a Japanese sugar syrup made from a very dark brown sugar called kurozato. Kurozato translates literally to “black sugar.” Thus, kuromitsu translates to “black honey” or black sugar syrup.

You can use kuromitsu as a topping for many Japanese desserts, including anmitsu and warabi mochi. I like to put it on shave ice and mochi waffles as well!

What is Black Sugar (Kurozato)?

Japanese black sugar is an unrefined sugar, which means that the sugar still contains molasses.

I actually learned a LOT about sugar while researching kuromitsu. Ready for the lowdown?

There’s essentially three times of sugars: unrefined, raw, and refined.

Raw is really a misnomer; it just means sugar that has only been minimally refined. Examples of raw sugars include muscovado, demerara, and turbinado. You can think of refining as being how much molasses gets taken out of the sugar crystal. So refined sugars, like the granulated white cane sugar you are probably familiar with, have all the molasses stripped out. Raw have only some. And unrefined sugars have all the molasses still in them.

Interestingly, I read that typical brown sugar like we use for baking is made from refined sugar that has some of the molasses put back IN.

So depending on what sugar you use, you’ll get a stronger or weaker molasses flavor.

What Sugar Do I Use to Make Kuromitsu?

Most of the recipes online seem to suggest using a combination of black sugar (kurozato) and some sort of raw brown sugar (e.g. muscovado, turbinado, or demerara). Perhaps you don’t want a 100% molasses flavor in your syrup. After trying it out, my recipe also uses a combination of black sugar and raw. I use turbinado for my raw sugar, as I also use it to top muffins and other baked goods. Don’t we all hate having opened ingredients sitting in the kitchen unused?

I have seem some recipes suggest that you can substitute all brown sugar for black sugar, if you can’t find any. However, knowing now about the different types of sugars, I would highly recommend using at least a raw sugar; not a refined brown sugar. Muscovado has the most molasses of all the raw sugars, so I’d go with that. Otherwise, you’ll get a sweet syrup, but you’ll be missing that molasses flavor that really makes Japanese kuromitsu special.

Is Black Sugar the Same as Brown Sugar in Boba?

After I made this kuromitsu, I realized it tasted just like the brown sugar syrup used in brown sugar boba. Most of the recipes online that I see for brown sugar boba use a raw sugar like muscovado. But those recipes are all from America.. so do some of the boba shops in Taiwan actually use black sugar? I’d guess at least some do. Again, the flavor really comes down to the molasses content, so I’d say go ahead and use kuromitsu for your brown sugar boba!

Where Can I Buy Kuromitsu and Kurozato?

Okay, full honesty time here. I actually prefer to buy kuromitsu premade. You can find it at Japanese markets… sometimes. I ended up developing this recipe because I couldn’t find any the last time I went to the market! Sad! They did have a big bag of black sugar, though, so I bit the bullet and decided to make my own.

BUT the good news about learning to make kuromitsu from scratch is that it’s definitely cheaper. Of course, now I have a bag of kurozato sitting in my pantry. I guess I’ll be making lots of black sugar desserts in the future!

Unfortunately, I can’t find the exact brands of kuromitsu and kurozato I use on Amazon. I was able to find this kuromitsu on Amazon, but I can’t vouch for the quality. It also seems kind of expensive. I also found these single serving black sugar syrups, which are convenient, but again, a little pricy.

Other online Asian markets have kuromitsu and kurozato, but I think availability depends on your location.

In any case, even if you don’t have access to Asian sugar ingredients, most places in America stock muscovado sugar, which you can use as a substitute.

How to Make Kuromitsu

Making kuromitsu is super easy. Just take your sugars of choice, mix with water, and bring to a simmer. THAT’S IT. I use a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water. Or more specifically a 1:1:1 ratio of black sugar, raw sugar, and water. A few minutes on the stovetop, and it’s ready for your desserts!

If you make kuromitsu and find your own favorite ratio and blends of sugars, be sure to let me know!