ONE Sweet HISTORY… n Spanish they call it “azucar.” “Sucre” is Sugar is one of the world’s the French word for it, while Germans say oldest documented I“zucker.” It’s called many things in many commodities, and at one places, but as long as it’s been around, and it’s time it was so valuable that been a while, Americans have always called it people locked it up in what “sugar.” was called a sugar safe. SUGAR’S OLD AND ILLUSTRIOUS TIMELINE: In the beginning, Christopher 8000 B.C. sugarcane was valued for 1493 Columbus is credited the sweet syrup it produced. As people with introducing sugarcane migrated to different parts of the world, to the New World, but that the good news spread, and eventually, was old news in places like sugarcane plants were found in Southeast Southeast Asia where sugar Asia, India, and Polynesia. had already been making life sweeter for over 8,000 years. 500 B.C. A new form of sugar was discovered — sugar Sugar is a scarce luxury in crystals! This major breakthrough in 1500s Europe at this time. One ancient technology occurred in India, teaspoon costs as much as $5, and a calf when sugarcane juice was boiled until costs as much as 4 pounds of sugar! crystals developed. A new source for sugar was 1744 325 B.C. “Honey without bees?” Could found. As luck would have this be true? This is how it, a German scientist named Andreas sugar was first described to Alexander the Marggraf discovered that the sugar beets Great. As his empire spread across Asia used to feed cows could be transformed and into Africa and Europe, so did the into sugar crystals. Eureka! cultivation of sugarcane. Of the U.S. sugar producing A Chinese emperor heard 1751 areas, Louisiana is the oldest 200 B.C. about India’s secret for and most historic. Sugarcane arrived in manufacturing sugar, and he sent his Louisiana with the Jesuit priests in 1751 emissary there to learn about this sweet who planted it near where their church sensation. Sugarcane was planting roots now stands on Baronne Street in New around the world. Orleans. Continued on Back That’s one sweet history! www. LaCane.org One Sweet History… n 1 Several plantations were planted 1795 in what is now the city limits of New Orleans and in 1795, Etienne de Boré, first granulated sugar on a commercial scale in Audubon Park. The success of the sugar industry hastens Louisiana’s admittance to the United States. Glossary • commodity - n. a raw material or primary 1865 Except for disastrous production agricultural product that can be bought and years during the Civil War, during a sold disease epidemic of the 1920s, and from 10 • technology - n. the use of scientific degree freezing temperatures affecting the knowledge to make work easier 1990 crop, the Louisiana sugarcane industry • cultivation - n. the use of land for growing has continued to increase in productivity, plants mainly due to improved varieties, cultural • - n. a person who is sent on a practices, pest control and sugar processing emissary mission as a representative for someone else techniques. The Louisiana sugarcane industry is currently in its third century of sugar • variety - n. any of various groups of plants production. or animals ranking below a species. WHERE SUGAR WAS FIRST GRowN Caribbean Islands China India New Guinea Africa Polynesia n the 1500’s a teaspoon of sugar cost $5.00. Answer this question and Iyou may be surprised at how much things have changed. If you put 2 teaspoons of sugar in your coffee every day for a year, at $5.00 per teaspoon how much would you spend in that year? 2 n One Sweet History… www. LaCane.org.