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Sugar and Sweetness. Is there a universal desire for sweetness?. Social sweetness. The “Sweet Life” - the good life Sweethearts Sweet = character and state of being “Sweet” as an experience of something good and desirable. What are main sources of sweetness?. Honey - bee products
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Sugar and Sweetness Is there a universal desire for sweetness?
Social sweetness • The “Sweet Life” - the good life • Sweethearts • Sweet = character and state of being • “Sweet” as an experience of something good and desirable
What are main sources of sweetness? • Honey - bee products • sugar cane - • refined, molasses • sugar beet - last century • High Fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
Peanut butter = worst go-away add 10% sugar by weight The rise of sucrose Sugar is added to fatty foods to create “Go-Away” (describes texture of food)
Food Texture= mouth feel Sugar increases viscosity- makes, gummy, thicker Substitute gums for sugar to create mouthfeel
How is most sugars consumed?(world over average consump. = 10%) • add to carbohydrates • millet, rice, other starches • add to bitter beverages • cold or hot, tea, coffee, chocolate • SWEET TEA • add to bitter food to make sweet • tomato, peanut, guava
Saccharum officinarum Sugar cane is a grass domesticated in New Guinea - 8000 B.C. to Philippines to India by 6000 B.C. Greek and Roman limited use Arab traders to Mediterranean by A.D. 700-1100
SUGAR from Luxury to a Necessity Sugar originally had medicinal use too expensive for food Later is a spice (not sugar and spice) a rare commodity add to meat dishes Decoration - display by royalty only royals could afford = black teeth
Columbus carried sugarcane on 2nd journey • to Santo Domingo • later throughout Caribbean and Brazil • by 1650 large-scale production • later to Pacific islands, esp. Hawaii
Native population decline and importation of slave labor
After Harvest • Crush cane and fiber • release juice • use animal powered crushers, now mechanical • Heat liquid to increase evaporation • becomes thicker • supersaturated = crystals will appear • crystals are brown • uncrystallized liquid = molasses, treacle, blackstrap (used for alcohol) • Purify through refining to get white pure sucrose (remove molasses)
Cane – after harvest is pressed
Non-centrifugal, less refined Panocha Jaggery
Demerara Turbinado
Sugar production Extremely labor intensive could not have produce on large-scale without importation of slave labor English, Dutch, French in the Caribbean = greater sugar production than Spaniards Environmental consequences – fuelwood, monocropping
Sugar becomes affordable and necessary England - sugar production increased 2500% in 150 years by 1850 most consumers = Europeans Added to beverages - tea, coffee, chocolate
Tea and Sugar British tea tradition est. mid-1700s Tea for working class = quick energy use > jam, puddings
Industrial Revolution and Diet Bread, jam, and hot beverage with sugar
Sugar = medicine - spice - decoration – food with human cost in past and today
Modern consequences? Brutal to produce – labor Horrible for diet