Okinawan brown sugar is prized in Japanese cooking for its deep & intense flavor. Only 8 islands in the archipelago produce what can be called Okinawan brown sugar, and each sugar is different. The difference lies primarily in the terroir of each island. Coral islands impart a different flavor from other types of islands. We tasted different islands' sugars before choosing this sugar from Hateruma Island. It is the most highly prized of the Okinawan sugars & we can see why. On the tongue it tastes of brown sugar with earthy mineral tones & savoriness. The fragrance is deep with hints of tobacco. Note: due to this sugar being much less processed than regular white sugar, it is full of texture & is not fully granulated. About the producer: Started in 1954, Murakami Syouten is a third generation company based in Osaka. They originally started trading sugar & eventually moved to processing. The sugar that we import is from Hateruma Island, which is part of the Okinawan archipeligo.