18
Currents
October 2019
By: Dr. Joanie McConnell
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The Bittersweet Story of Sugar
Everybody knows that sugar is sweet, but not
everybody knows that sugar has a bittersweet story.
To understand why, we have to step back in time.
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Sugarcane is a plant indigenous to Polynesia.
It thrives in hot humid climates with abundant rainfall.
Early records indicate that the inhabitants of New
Guinea chewed the cane stalks for the sweet, deli-
cious juice, which was also used as a medicinal cure
for certain illness.
From New Guinea, sailors carried the cane
plants to other islands and then to southern Asia.
From there, cane cultivation spread as far north as
India. Back then - unlike today - sugar was a luxury
product that only the wealthy could afford.
In northern India, sometime around the 5th
century AD, a special technique was developed to
convert the sweet cane juice into crystallized sugar.
This discovery stimulated the sugar trade and, at the
same time, enriched those who were privy to this
highly guarded secret.
From the 8th - 10th centuries, as the Arab
armies were conquering the Middle East, they were,
in turn, “conquered” by the sweet taste of sugar. Not
surprisingly, sugar became an important component
of their cuisine, especially the spectacular desserts
continued on page 19 >