Sugar

It is quite difficult to imagine a world without sugar. We would not be able to sweeten our coffee; or, enjoy most confectionaries like cupcakes. Our ice cream would taste bland and & most importantly, teriyaki sauce could not be invented:)

I never noticed how such tiny crystals could have a huge impact on the world. In “Discovering the Global Past” by Merry Wiesener, Chapter 4 traces sugar in its journey of becoming of global importance. Sugar is a hardcore world traveler: it originated in South Asia and made its way to the Caribbean. As for the Europeans, they had yet to encounter this “secret”. I found it kind of funny when the book says, “Sugar was one of the luxury goods…(88)”. When people think of “luxury”, I highly doubt sugar comes to mind. Instead most people dream about owning extravagant mansions, fancy cars, and a massive wardrobe. Or, for some, simplicity is their idea of luxury. Either way, sugar isn’t usually mentioned. In contrast, when the New World was first introduced to sugar, in fact, it was barely available for the rich and royal.

Although sugar has served some goodness in the world, it does not justify the slavery that came with it. Because sugar required extensive labor and mass produced, many countries, including Spain, used African slaves to cultivate and process sugar. They used slaves in order to save their money. They wanted to have great results (great quantities of sugar) and at the same time, use the least amount of money. Slaves are barely, if ever, paid for the intense labor they endure.