Chapter 4: Sugar and the Origins of the Modern World

I found it very interesting to learn of the origins of sugar in the modern world and how it was thought to be a medicine and/or a spice, and was used in very small quantities. It wasn't till the 18th century that it was used as a sweetener, and that is when it went from a high class privilege to a world commodity. I also found it very interesting to learn that the traditional beer was more nutritious than sweetened tea. It was weird to see the transition between tea being a statement of wealth and power to a statement of poverty and lack of nutrition. When first introduced it was a statement of wealth because it the rarity of it. Only people of wealth had the ability to have it imported or to recieve it. However, once it became a commodity it was commonly used as a replacement for food because it gave the illusion of a hot meal, making it a common use of the lower class. It was interesting to read and learn about the evolution of sugar as a product and how the value of it changed as it became more popular and more widely used.