How it was Discovered
Sugar was discovered in 500 BC in India.
Here is how it all started. In 8000 BC, it was then that the sugar cane was seen in New Guinea. From there, the sugar cane started to spread all across Asia. ( "Timeline of Sugar", n.d.)
Here is how it all started. In 8000 BC, it was then that the sugar cane was seen in New Guinea. From there, the sugar cane started to spread all across Asia. ( "Timeline of Sugar", n.d.)
( "Sugar cane", 2010) ( "Our Sugar cane Partnership" , 2010 )
300 BC- Alexander the Great's army reported seeing a reed that gives out honey without bees. ( " How it's Made, Sugar" n.d. )
400 AD – Even though they could produce large quantities of sugar, majority of the Indian population preferred honey to sweeten their food. That changed in 5th century AD when Imperial Guptas found the way to turn sugarcane juice into granulated crystals. This new form of sugar was much easier to transport, which made it one of the primary trade ingredients of India. ( "Timeline of Sugar", n.d. , para 5)
18th century – Until this point, sugar was very expensive and not available to general population of Europe and Americas. But, spreading of sugar plantations around the world managed to transform this item into very popular food ingredient. This move from very expensive to widely popular product brought great changes in the economic and social status in the world. Most notably, the need for establishing numerous plantations in the tropics intensified slave trade of African slaves, dispersing them all around the world, mostly to North and Central America. ("Timeline of Sugar", n.d. para 12)
19th century – Sugar was no longer considered to be only “popular”, but it was necessary food ingredient (for the first time normal diet included teas, coffee, jams, candies, chocolates, processed foods, etc. ( "Timeline of Sugar" , n.d. , para 14)
400 AD – Even though they could produce large quantities of sugar, majority of the Indian population preferred honey to sweeten their food. That changed in 5th century AD when Imperial Guptas found the way to turn sugarcane juice into granulated crystals. This new form of sugar was much easier to transport, which made it one of the primary trade ingredients of India. ( "Timeline of Sugar", n.d. , para 5)
18th century – Until this point, sugar was very expensive and not available to general population of Europe and Americas. But, spreading of sugar plantations around the world managed to transform this item into very popular food ingredient. This move from very expensive to widely popular product brought great changes in the economic and social status in the world. Most notably, the need for establishing numerous plantations in the tropics intensified slave trade of African slaves, dispersing them all around the world, mostly to North and Central America. ("Timeline of Sugar", n.d. para 12)
19th century – Sugar was no longer considered to be only “popular”, but it was necessary food ingredient (for the first time normal diet included teas, coffee, jams, candies, chocolates, processed foods, etc. ( "Timeline of Sugar" , n.d. , para 14)
("Sugarcane Train" , n.d.)