Sugar Changed the World - Prologue and Part One

Front

What motivated Marc Aronson to write about sugar?

Back

Marc Aronson was motivated to write about sugar because his uncle's wife was descended from a Russian serf who invented a way to make raw beet sugar more attractive.

Front

What inspired Marina Budhos to write a book about sugar?

Back

Marina Budhos was inspired to write about sugar because her great-grandparents became fairly wealthy as a result of their involvement in the sugar industry.

Front

What term do Aronson and Budhos use to describe the first thousand years of human history?

Back

They refer to it as 'The Age of Honey'.

Front

What was Jundi Shapur?

Back

Jundi Shapur was a university in Persia where sugar was researched and refined, and it was a place from which knowledge of sugar spread.

Front

Who sent Nearchus to the coast of India in 326 B.C.?

Back

Alexander the Great sent Nearchus to the coast of India in 326 B.C.

Front

What is the significance of sugar in human history?

Back

Sugar has played a crucial role in trade, economy, and culture throughout history, influencing societies and economies.

Front

How did sugar impact the economy of the Caribbean?

Back

Sugar became a major cash crop in the Caribbean, driving the economy and leading to the establishment of plantations.

Front

What role did sugar play in the transatlantic slave trade?

Back

The demand for sugar led to the transatlantic slave trade, as enslaved Africans were brought to work on sugar plantations.

Front

What is the difference between cane sugar and beet sugar?

Back

Cane sugar is derived from sugarcane, while beet sugar is derived from sugar beets; both are used to produce sucrose.

Front

How did the cultivation of sugarcane spread globally?

Back

The cultivation of sugarcane spread through trade routes and colonization, reaching regions like the Americas and Asia.