Time, Sugar, and Time, Sugar, and SweetnessSweetness

by Sidney W. Mintzby Sidney W. Mintz

Ms. Rachel KarsentyMs. Rachel Karsenty

Food, Culture and Agriculture

IntroductionIntroduction Food and eating as subjects of serious Food and eating as subjects of serious

inquiry have engaged anthropology from its inquiry have engaged anthropology from its very beginnings.very beginnings.

Food and eating were studies for the most Food and eating were studies for the most part in their more unusual aspects (food part in their more unusual aspects (food prohibitions and taboos, cannibalism) rather prohibitions and taboos, cannibalism) rather than as everyday and essential features of than as everyday and essential features of the life of all humankind.the life of all humankind.

Food and eating are now becoming actively Food and eating are now becoming actively of interest to antropologists: there is an of interest to antropologists: there is an upsurge of interest on the study of upsurge of interest on the study of patterned relationships between substances patterned relationships between substances and human groups as form of and human groups as form of communication. communication.

Time, Sugar, and SweetnessTime, Sugar, and Sweetness During and after the Age of Discovery, Europe During and after the Age of Discovery, Europe

experienced a deluge of new substances, experienced a deluge of new substances, including foods.including foods.

The sugar cane that originated in the Old The sugar cane that originated in the Old World and was already known to Europeans World and was already known to Europeans was diffused to the New World. It became an was diffused to the New World. It became an important crop after the 17th century.important crop after the 17th century.

Sugar cannot easily be discussed without Sugar cannot easily be discussed without references to other foods: the character of its references to other foods: the character of its uses, its association with other items, the uses, its association with other items, the ways it was perceived, changed greatly over ways it was perceived, changed greatly over time.time.

Time, Sugar, and SweetnessTime, Sugar, and Sweetness

Until the 17th century people from Until the 17th century people from Northern Europe secured sweetness in Northern Europe secured sweetness in food mostly from honey and from fruit.food mostly from honey and from fruit.

Sugar can be extracted from many Sugar can be extracted from many sources, such as the sugar palm, the sugar sources, such as the sugar palm, the sugar beet, and all fruits.beet, and all fruits.

The white granulated sugar familiar today The white granulated sugar familiar today is made from sugar cane and sugar beet.is made from sugar cane and sugar beet.

The sugar-beet process was developed The sugar-beet process was developed late, but sugar-cane processing is ancient. late, but sugar-cane processing is ancient.

Time, Sugar, and SweetnessTime, Sugar, and Sweetness

Sugar cane was grown:Sugar cane was grown:- in South Asia at least as early as the 4th in South Asia at least as early as the 4th

century B.C.century B.C.- on the southern of the Mediterranean on the southern of the Mediterranean

Sea by the 8th century A.D.Sea by the 8th century A.D.■■ During those centuries it remained During those centuries it remained

costly , prized, and less a food than a costly , prized, and less a food than a medicine.medicine.

■ ■ Those who dealt in imported spices Those who dealt in imported spices dealt in sugar as well. dealt in sugar as well.

Time, Sugar, and SweetnessTime, Sugar, and Sweetness By the 13th century English monarchs had By the 13th century English monarchs had

grown fond of sugar, most of it probably grown fond of sugar, most of it probably from the Eastern Mediterranean.from the Eastern Mediterranean.

Sugar had entered into the tastes and Sugar had entered into the tastes and recipe books of the rich.recipe books of the rich.

In Great Britain by the end of the 18th In Great Britain by the end of the 18th century average annual per capita century average annual per capita consumption stood at 13 pounds. consumption stood at 13 pounds.

Present consumption levels in Britain, and in Present consumption levels in Britain, and in certain other North European countries, are certain other North European countries, are high enough to be nearly unbelivevable, high enough to be nearly unbelivevable, much as they are in the United States. much as they are in the United States.

Time, Sugar, and SweetnessTime, Sugar, and Sweetness

France never became the sugar or tea France never became the sugar or tea consumer that Britain became, though coffee consumer that Britain became, though coffee was more successful in France than in Britain.was more successful in France than in Britain.

The general spread of these substances The general spread of these substances through the Western world since the 17th through the Western world since the 17th century has been one of the truly important century has been one of the truly important economic and cultural phenomena of the economic and cultural phenomena of the modern age.modern age.

These were , it seems, the first edible luxuries These were , it seems, the first edible luxuries to become proletarian commonplaces.to become proletarian commonplaces.

Time, Sugar, and SweetnessTime, Sugar, and Sweetness

Sugar became a cheap source of quick Sugar became a cheap source of quick energy. It formed part of a complex of energy. It formed part of a complex of « proletarian hunger-killers »« proletarian hunger-killers »

It was valuable more as a substitute for It was valuable more as a substitute for food than as a food itself.food than as a food itself.

In western Europe it probably supplanted In western Europe it probably supplanted other food in proletarian diets. other food in proletarian diets.

Sugar (99.9% pure sucrose) is with salt the Sugar (99.9% pure sucrose) is with salt the purest chemical substance human beings purest chemical substance human beings ingest.ingest.

Time, Sugar, and SweetnessTime, Sugar, and Sweetness

Sugar is linked to slavery and to the Sugar is linked to slavery and to the ecomical growth: the sugar can ecomical growth: the sugar can plantation profits were transfered to plantation profits were transfered to European banks for reinvestment. European banks for reinvestment.

By the end of the 17th century sugar By the end of the 17th century sugar had become an English food, even if had become an English food, even if still costly and a delicacy.still costly and a delicacy.

Time, Sugar, and SweetnessTime, Sugar, and Sweetness In Britain, during the 19th century, In Britain, during the 19th century, withwith the rise the rise

of industrial production and the introduction of of industrial production and the introduction of enormous quantities of new ingestibles, changes enormous quantities of new ingestibles, changes accompagned many other dietary changes:accompagned many other dietary changes:

- the developement of ready-made (store-brought) the developement of ready-made (store-brought) breadbread

- the gradual replacement of milk-drinking by tea-the gradual replacement of milk-drinking by tea-drinkingdrinking

- a sharp decline in the preparation of oatmeal a sharp decline in the preparation of oatmeal (Scotland)(Scotland)→replacement of oatmeal by bread→replacement of oatmeal by bread

- a decrease in the use of buttera decrease in the use of butter→replacement of →replacement of butter by jambutter by jam

Sugar vs HoneySugar vs Honey Before Britons had sugar, they had honey.Before Britons had sugar, they had honey. Honey was a common ingredient in Honey was a common ingredient in

prescriptions and had also been used as a prescriptions and had also been used as a preservative.preservative.

Then sugar turned out to be much better Then sugar turned out to be much better and, eventually, cheaper. Sugar is by far a and, eventually, cheaper. Sugar is by far a superior preservative medium.superior preservative medium.

Honey also provided the basis of some Honey also provided the basis of some alcohol drinks and sugar became an alcohol drinks and sugar became an important alternative to these drinks.important alternative to these drinks.

→ → Sugar soon bested honey.Sugar soon bested honey.

Variant uses of sugarVariant uses of sugar Like spices, sugar was a condiment, a Like spices, sugar was a condiment, a

preservative, and a medicine. Like them it was preservative, and a medicine. Like them it was sold by Grocers.sold by Grocers.

Sugar was employed, as were spices, with cooked Sugar was employed, as were spices, with cooked meats, sometimes combined with fruits.meats, sometimes combined with fruits.

Sugar was a medicine, but it also disguised the Sugar was a medicine, but it also disguised the bitter taste of other medicines by sweetening.bitter taste of other medicines by sweetening.

It was a sweetener, which, by 1700, was It was a sweetener, which, by 1700, was sweetening tea, chocolate, and coffee, all of them sweetening tea, chocolate, and coffee, all of them bitter and all of them stimulants.bitter and all of them stimulants.

It was a food, rich in calories.It was a food, rich in calories. It was a preservative, which, when eaten with It was a preservative, which, when eaten with

what it preserved , both made it sweeter and what it preserved , both made it sweeter and increased its caloric content. increased its caloric content.

ConclusionConclusion

The 17th century was the century in The 17th century was the century in which sugar changed in Britain from which sugar changed in Britain from luxury and medicine to necessity and luxury and medicine to necessity and food.food.

FinFin(The End)(The End)

Questions ?Questions ?