History of Sugar

In history of Sugarcane it probably comes from the Pacific Islands. We find traces in ancient China, there are more than 3000 years, then in Bengal where the inhabitants are the first to press the rods to extract a thick hot porridge. On cooling, crystals formed in the slurry: This is the first sugar crystals called in India "sarkara" meaning "grain". Use of this "sarkara" is spreading in the basins of the Ganges and Indus. The Far East and India have so consumed the sugar over 2000 years before the West. But this consumption will be limited because it was a luxury item and therefore expensive.
Not until the expedition of the Persian king Darius I in the valleys of the Indus (Pakistan river) in the 6th century BC to the Persians discovered what they call "the reed which gives honey without the help of bees" and brings it in their country.

Later, Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC remark sugarcane in Persia as reported Niarchos his admiral. It also finds mention in the Latin poet Lucan and in Pliny the Elder in the 1st century AD. The latter evokes: "This is the honey collected on reeds is white like gum, breaking their teeth".
Roman and Greek will therefore make great use, especially the rich.

Centuries later, the Arabs invaded Asia, relate sugar cane and setting up in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, North Africa, Cyprus, Rhodes in the Balearic Islands and in southern Spain , with varying results.
In Europe, sugar remains an unknown product , an exotic rarity found only in the courts of kings or in some apothiciares supplied by the Eastern caravans.

Middle Ages.

It was not until the Middle Ages and the Crusades to the world rediscovers occcidental sugar and establish a profitable trade of this commodity then regarded as a treat, a spice, a drug and a bargaining chip. The Crusaders therefore tasted the sugar from the Indies by camel caravans and called the "Indian salt" (!). Soon, Alexandria became the main port of sugar shipment by the care of the merchant fleet of Venice. This trade developed as to represent an important part of the wealth of Venice in the Middle Ages.
 
But what was it sugar? In fact, the product sold under the name "Sakar" or "Sakkara" was in the form of dark brown crystals, poorly refined, full of impurities, smell and taste was polluted by the sweat of the camels 'had conveyed from India! That is why refineries were founded in Venice and North Italy for a purer and much clearer product. This sugar was considered a medicine and only pharmacies were allowed to sell in very small quantities weighed on precision scales! If sugar remained a "drug" it is likely that the diabetes pandemic is not as important today !!
At the same time, we tried to implant the culture of cure cane in Sicily, Madeira and the Canary Islands with more or less success. It was also exported to Brazil where the climate allowed in development.

Christopher Columbus from his second voyage to the Americas, installs sugarcane plants from the Canary Islands, in St Domingo and producing its own sugar since 1505 . The pulse is then given: Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile , Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and the Caribbean (Martinique and Guadeloupe) produced their sugar during the 16th and early 17th century. In the past, the production of sugar takes over the decades, considerable expansion but also generates (alas) the development of slavery for the necessary manpower.

17th, 18th.

But in Europe, sugar remains a true rarity in the 17th century to the point that among the rich who presented on the table, the sugar bowls were locked ! At the court of Louis XIV, the Sun King himself had the key and was distributing to his courtiers and courtesans.

This is after the siege of Vienna in 1683 (juilet of September) we got into the habit of drinking sweet coffee in the West. The story is worth telling because it marks the end of the expansion of the Ottoman Empire in the West and the establishment of a practice that continues today. Indeed, 12 September 1683 , Turkish troops are crushed by the coalition of Polish, Hungarian and Slovak. In the booty is 500 bags of coffee. Prisoners will teach their conquerors how hot coffee, very black, with added whipped cream and sugar. Moreover, a stock of small brioche bread crescent (registered trademark on the Turkish flag) is also in the loot. The crescent-cream café is born that day.

In the 18th century, a net increase of sugar consumption is noted that remains unaffordable for the majority of the population. Research was then conducted to find a plant adapted for the European climate , likely to produce sugar. Following pertinent observations (1575) of a large French agronomist of the 16th century, Olivier de Serres ,  the beet juice, the German chemist  Marggraf tried the first in 1747 to use the beet for this purpose. His attempt was successful but conronné one hand, the time of beets contained little sugar and, secondly, the extraction process was long and painful. It will take the cheap sugar!

At the end of the 18th century, on the eve of the French Revolution, France was the first European site for refining and sugar trade that comes from the West Indies and is redistributed to Holland, Germany and Scandinavia.

But from  1789 , the French Revolution completely paralyzes trade French sugar. In 1792 England, at war with France, uses its powerful navy to paralyze the French merchant fleet. Sugar shortage. It is rationed 1795.

19th century, Napoleon and beet.

Napoleon takes power at the end of the revolution, then had epic trouble with Europe. In 1806  he decreed a Continental Blockade banning any English port access to the continent.
But the West Indies are in English hands and their response was immediate: sugar cane from the colonies, does not happen again. It's the shortage in all the cities of Europe!

However, in 1786 , a student of the German chemist Marggraf, Frédéric Achard (French emigrant son) took over the work of his master on beet. He managed to develop an efficient method of sugar extraction that soon develops in Europe and that will encourage Napoleon. Progress is rapid, sugar factories are increasing in the area and manufacturing costs fall. On 2 January 1812, Benjamin Delessert , refiner in Passy, ​​receives the Legion of Honour from the hands of the Emperor, for the quality of his work.
However, the Empire's fall interrupted for a time, the impetus to the production of sugar beet. Indeed cane sugar from the West Indies, back on the market since maritime trade blockade is lifted. Stiff competition is then established between the cane sugar producers and beet sugar poducteurs. Despite this rivalry, in 1875 , France is the first European country producer of beet sugar, its production being passed in 30 years, from 75 000 tonnes to 700 000 tonnes per year .

The 20 th century.

In 1902 , an international agreement is necessary to regulate the respective production of cane and beet. Then the First World War (1914-1918) that takes place in the operating beet areas, carries a terrible blow to production. This restarts thereafter and sugar became a staple product! It will therefore in the last century many international agreements to regulate the production of sugar which the need is growing steadily especially in developing countries . Read more here http://www.ilemaurice.mu/en/history/sugar.html

Today.

The European community is very involved in the dynamics of sugar production. It is no longer the largest producer, supplanted it in India, China, Thailand and Mexico. But it remains a very big consumer and a very big exporter.
The situation of the USA is special. Indeed, the high price support policy sugar / sucrose (beet and cane) by taxes prompted electronics manufacturers to replace that sugar syrups Glucose / fructose from corn! This practice is now highly contested by nutritionists who believe that the consumption of these syrups is a disaster and cause the explosion in obesity and diabetes!