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Technological advancements in the
process of farming sugar and extracting
it from the cane continued and it
became possible to extract twice as
much as before. Sugar is created by
crushing the stalks of the plant in
order to extract the juice. The water
content is then evaporated and what
remains crystallises to form the
granules that we recognise today.
The very first large-scale production of
sugarcane specifically for refinement
was established on the Portuguese
island of Madeira, off the north-west
African coast, in the late fifteenth
century.
It was also around this time that sugar
production arrived in the Americas and
Oceania. The climate in the Caribbean
and South America was perfect for the
crop to thrive. However, in order to
produce the crop as quickly and as
cheaply as possible, people who were
native to these lands were enslaved by
the European invaders and forced to
work on the sugar plantations. The
supply of slaves was increased by the
cruel capture of millions more people
from Africa. The sugar industry was
fuelled by the work of these enslaved
people and so much sugarcane was
shipped back to Europe that it became
more and more affordable. It was used to
sweeten tea and coffee, and to produce
chocolates and sweets, which were eaten
by rich and poor people alike.
Sugar production altered dramatically in
the year 1747, when a chemist from
Prussia named Andreas S. Marggraf
discovered that sugar could be
extracted from the root of a plant
known as beet. Just over fifty years
later, the sugar beet was being
cultivated and refined on a large scale
throughout Europe. Napoleon
Bonaparte took a very keen interest in
this way of producing sugar. He
encouraged an increase in its
manufacture in France, and also
banned the import of sugar from the
Caribbean. The increased support of the
sugar beet industry in Europe and the
eventual abolition of slavery meant that
this was soon the major source of sugar
in Europe.
OnE LuMp oR TwO…Or
NoNe aT AlL?
Over the past century, sugar has become
an increasingly controversial part of our
diets. We now know that an excess of
sugar is bad for our health. It won’t only
damage our teeth, but it can also cause
weight gain connected to diseases
such as type 2 diabetes. In order to
provide the sweet taste but to lessen
the damage to our health, scientists
have worked to create artificial
sweeteners, which would replace
sugar. As well as these synthetic
products, there is also an increased
popularity in natural versions, which
are made from coconuts or the sap of
palm trees. Arguments abound as to
which is least detrimental for
our health.
FUN FACTS
Sugar is an energy source called a
carbohydrate.
The artificial sweetener Sucralose is
600 times as sweet as sugar.
Sweetness is measured in Vals.
Research seems to confirm that whatever
the source of sugar, whether it’s
granulated white sugar from sugarcane or
the unrefined types such as honey or date
syrup, the effect on our bodies is basically
the same.
The story of the granulated treat that we
use to bake cakes and to sweeten our
drinks is still changing, but our addiction
to the taste of sweet things shows no
signs of slowing down just yet.
Durkin. Illustration:
A BiTtEr hIsToRy