This is the title of a recent book by Dr. Ulbe Bosma, (Harvard University Press., covered by Nature Briefing of August 4, 2023). The book talks about sugar’s societal dominance as a recent development. Granulated sugar was made and eaten from the sixth Century in India. Indeed, Dr K.T. Achaya, in his book “Indian Food — a historical companion” points out that sugarcane was known in India since the times of the Atharva Veda (around 900 BC) and rock sugar (Guda or Gud in Hindi) since 800 BC.
Though granulated sugar was known since the sixth century, refined sugar became widely available in Europe only in the 19th Century. As the author points out, sugar’s societal dominance is a story of progress and a bitter-sweet tale of exploitation, racism, obesity and environmental destruction.
