Sugar Alcohols

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The quest for healthier sweeteners At lunch time one day a few years ago, I walked into a cafeteria near the building where I was working. I wasn’t in the mood for a salad or sandwich that day, so I looked at the hot en trees. Behind the glass was a heated serving pan full of rice, and next to it another pan containing a mixture I couldn’t quite identify, though there were some clearly recognizable vegetables and on the whole it looked fairly appetizing. The “daily specials” sign was missing, so I asked the server what it was. She looked down at the food, thought hard for a few seconds, looked back up at me, and said matter-of-factly, “Ingredients over rice.” Another few seconds passed and it was clear that was the only answer I was going to get. I said, “Fine, I’ll have some of that.” It was delicious—though to this day I have no idea what it was supposed to be.