Sugar: A Sweet History?

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Sugar cane was originally harvested in the Bay of Bengal in India, and from there it spread its sweet influence out to Malaysia, Indonesia, Polynesia, and southern China. From there it made its way to Persia, and became a state secret. After the Arabs invaded Persia, they took the “reed that gives honey without bees” as the Persian Emperor of the time described it.

After taking sugarcane production tips from the Persians, the Arab kingdom of the time went on to establish production in countries that they expanded their empires into, including North Africa, Sicily and Spain. After the English returned from the crusades they began to talk about the new “spice” that the Arabs were cultivating. Venice was also interested in the sweetener, and after importing refined sugar (for the time) from the Arabs, they took over the production and trade. This monopoly lasted only a short time as Portugul sent out ships to India to bring back sugarcane for use. The “sweet spice” became widely available after Columbus transplanted it to the Carribbean and later the Americas, using slave labour to cultivate it in large plantations.

As production ramped up in the colonies, European scientists also learned how to extract it from beets using a chemical process. Beets are where most of the refined white sugar comes from today. Sugar, despite being unhealthy in large quantities, has become a staple in our culture: from birthdays to rewards, sugar is used as a treat. But the history is not so sweet.

Although it still dominates the sweetener industry, many people are experimenting with alternatives like stevia, sucralose, and honey.

What do you think about the history of sugar? Does it make you want to eat something sweet? Let me know on Facebook or in the Comments.