Sugar cane was likely used in prehistory, but the first domestic use of sugar cane happened around 8000 BC when the indigenous people of New Guinea chewed on it in raw form. Sea traders spread the cultivation practices of sugar cane throughout Southeast Asia, China, and India. Sugar was first refined in India; a sugar mill is mentioned in an Indian text from 100 AD. As sugar cultivation spread, so too did the processing methods. Crystalized sugar was seen in Roman and Greek civilizations around 100 AD, where it was used for medicinal purposes to aid stomach ailments.
During 500-600 AD, the methods for processing sugar continued to improve. The Arab countries became masters at growing, refining, and cooking sugar, and they decided to use it as a spice and a medicine. During the Muslim takeover of Egypt, Persia, India, and the Mediterranean, the knowledge for chemically refining the purest and whitest sugar came from India. The Crusades led to the knowledge of sugar spreading across Europe.
In the 1300s, the cost of sugar was extremely high due to its rarity, so only the wealthiest could afford it. With Spain’s colonization of the Canary Islands, sugar plantations began and export back to Spain was doing well in the 1500s. By the 1600s, coffee, tea, and chocolate made their way to Europe, which increased sugar consumption. With the demand for sugar, sugar plantations began slave labor.
In 1791, Abolitionists boycotted slave-grown sugar, and the demand for slave-free sugar grown in India increased. In 1807, Thomas Jefferson signed a bill to prohibit the importation of slaves into the United States, while the British House of Lords passed an act to abolish the slave trade, but slavery was still practiced. The U.S. Congress passed a tariff on imported sugar, which raised the demand for slave labor to grow American sugar.
By 1817, higher yields lowered the price, making sugar cheaper and more affordable to the masses. By 1900, The American Sugar Refining Company created the Domino Sugar Brand, which controlled 97% of all American sugar production. Mass production and sugar refining continued to advance and expand during the 19thand 20thcenturies. In modern times, sugar cane is the world’s third most valuable crop and occupies about 66,576,827.0178 acres or 26,942,686 hectares of land across the world.
Sugar was used as a medicine. In the 1500s, sugar was believed to moderately clean the blood, and strengthen the mind and body, especially the chest, lungs, and throat. Sugar was considered unhealthy for “hot and bilious people,” and was known to cause tooth decay. It was believed to heal wounds when sprinkled upon them, and to aid the common cold when transformed into smoke. Sugar water with cinnamon, pomegranate, and quince juice was said to aid a cough and fever. And sugar wine was given to old people to increase their vigor. It wasn’t until 1942 when the American Medical Association’s Council on Food and Nutrition suggested limiting sugar consumption due to its lack of nutritional benefits. By 1966, medical professionals begin to correlate sugar consumption to diabetes and other diseases.
Focusing on some of my favorite time periods and their consumption of sugar.
The ancient Egyptians didn’t use sugar. The rich used honey to sweeten their desserts, while the poor used dates. Nevertheless, I did discover that the ancient Egyptians used sugaring for hair removal. A paste made of sugar, water, and lemon was applied to hair growth and then covered with a piece of muslin cloth and pulled off when cooled. Much like the modern-day wax strips. This process of hair removal was considered Egyptian art. I’m uncertain why the ancient Egyptians would use the sweetener for hair removal and not try it for consumption.
Like the ancient Egyptians, the Vikings also sweetened their food with honey or fruit juices.
In Regency England, sugar chests with locks were popular to house the commodity. Sugar was usually molded into large cone shapes that weighed 1-3 pounds and pieces were broken off and grated for use. They were also called a sugarloaf and were usually 8-12 inches high and up to six inches in diameter at the base.
One of sugar’s most common uses during the Regency period was to sweeten tea. During this period, the method for producing sugar caused the sugar to slightly brown. Once dried, the sugar was usually wrapped in an indigo blue color wrapper that made the sugar look whiter. The paper was secured with a string or red wax or both. Granulated sugar was not technically possible. Most people at this time purchased their sugar in cones and then used sugar nippers to break chunks of sugar off the hard cone. Sugar nippers were not part of a tea service. The broken off pieces of sugar were usually placed in a sugar bowl and silver sugar tongs were used to pick up the pieces or lumps, which are a part of the tea service. Sugar cubes were not invented until 1841. Beet sugar was strongly promoted during Regency England, due to Napoleon mandating its cultivation in the German territories he conquered, but the English didn’t comply and continued to import their sugar from their West Indies plantations.
A special thank you to: https://www.sugar.org/sugar/history/,https://www.saveur.com/sugar-history-of-the-world/,https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/history-sugar-food-nobody-needs-everyone-craves-004406, https://www.puresugarhb.com/blog/2016/1/26/the-history-of-sugaring,https://regencyredingote.wordpress.com/2008/11/14/take-your-lumps-sweet-ones/,https://www.ancient.eu/article/1311/norse-viking-diet/
