construct from it a variety of interesting textures One chemical characteristic of sugars is especially important in the kitchen Sugars have a strong affinity for water, so they readily dissolve in water, and form temporary but strong bonds to water molecules in their vicinity Sugars therefore retain moisture in baked goods, keep frozen desserts from solidifying into a solid block of ice, form a sticky matrix that holds food particles together in such things as marzipan and granola bars, maintain a moist, glossy appearance in glazes, and help preserve fruits by drawing moisture out of spoilage microbes and preventing their growth Kinds of Sugar The cook works with just a handful of the many different sugars in nature All of them are sweet, but each has its distinctive qualities Glucose Glucose, also called dextrose, is a simple sugar, and the most common sugar from which living cells directly extract chemical energy Glucose is found in many fruits and in honey, but always in a mixture with other sugars It’s the building block from which starch chains are constructed Cooks encounter it most often as the sweet substance in corn syrup, which is made by breaking starch down into individual glucose molecules and small glucose chains (p 677) A chain of two glucoses is called maltose Compared to table sugar, or sucrose, glucose is less sweet, less soluble in water, and produces a thinner solution It melts and begins to caramelize at around 300ºF/150ºC Sweets Around the World Sugar is universally popular, but different cultures have made different uses of it ... sugar, and the most common sugar from which living cells directly extract chemical energy Glucose is found in many fruits and in honey, but always in a mixture with other sugars It’s the building block from... chains are constructed Cooks encounter it most often as the sweet substance in corn syrup, which is made by breaking starch down into individual glucose molecules and small glucose chains (p 677)... and small glucose chains (p 677) A chain of two glucoses is called maltose Compared to table sugar, or sucrose, glucose is less sweet, less soluble in water, and produces a thinner solution It melts and begins to caramelize at