History of sugar

History of sugar

Initially sugar was not present and honey and milk had to be used to create the more indulgent products in the times of Ancient Egypt, Ancient China, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. In the Americas Maple Syrup with honey was used in those early days.

When in Asia is was discovered that sugar cane could be transformed into something that was more easily available it was still exclusive in Europe: via Egypt and Syria it was sold as a drug and sold via pharmacies. It was therefore only in the Middle Ages that the first true applications of sugar (from cane) developed in the patisserie and viennoiserie type of products.

As in the 1800 Napoleon Bonaparte was wagging war across Europe both Honey as well as Sugar became scarce and scientists were set to work to create sugar from other plant sources that cane. The first alternative came from grapes; which was actually a monosaccharide we would call dextrose or glucose nowadays. Mr. Delessert created a few years later ‘true’ sugar from sugar beet; allowing him to be immortalised by being the name giver of “Dessert” course on many menucards.

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