The Sweet History of Sugar

Sugar processing originated in New Guinea around 10,000 years ago. By 6,000 BC, it spread to the Indian subcontinent, where methods for producing crystalline sugar were developed.

During the Crusades (11th-13th centuries), Europeans rediscovered sugar. Crusaders returning home talked of this 'new spice' which led to a surge in its popularity and trade in Europe.

Sugar was often used as a currency or sweetener and sometimes even for medicinal purposes. Its value was sometimes equivalent to that of precious metals.

Sugar cultivation and processing in the Caribbean and Americas were labor-intensive and gave rise to the transatlantic slave trade, which forcibly brought more than 10 million Africans to the New World.

By the mid-17th century, sugar barons were among the wealthiest men in the new world. Their fortunes equaled that of today’s billionaires, having vast influence on trade and politics.

The 19th century saw the mechanization of sugar production, making it cheaper and more accessible. Beet sugar also became popular, diversifying the industry previously dominated by cane sugar.

Today, the average person consumes about 53 pounds of sugar per year. Surprisingly, this is below the historical peak of the 18th century when some Europeans consumed up to 100 pounds annually.

In the right conditions, sugar dust is highly explosive and has caused several deadly factory explosions over the years.