How Sweet It Is
Sunday
Sugar comes from sugar cane or sugar beet juice, and from there is processed into its many varieties.
Monday
Brown sugar is brown from molasses, either left in or added to white sugar in varying amounts. White sugar is separated from molasses in processing.
Tuesday
Fifth century Indians learned to crystalize sugarcane juice and called that sugar “khanda,” the Sanskrit word from which we get “candy.”
Wednesday
Over one-third of the added sugar in the American diet comes from soda, energy, and sports drinks, while only 5-7% comes from candy.
Thursday
Chemically speaking, sugars end in “-ose,” like sucrose, fructose, glucose, etc., or -saccharide, such as monosaccharide or disaccharide.
Friday
Americans now consume a mind-boggling 11 million metric tons of sugar annually, more than any other nation by far.
Saturday
Historically, sugar was not so sweet for the workers who produced it. Unfortunately, slavery and forced labor played a big role in early sugar production, and African slaves and sugar were part of the infamous “triangle trade” between Africa, the Caribbean, and New England.