Page 19 - June 2024 Cascadian

“Seeds of Change Change – Six Plants That Changed the World” was written by Henry Hobhouse in in in in 1985 As it it it it it is is is such a a a a a a a popular book it it it it it is is is in in in in its fifth reprinting However I just discovered it it it it it two months ago Six Plants Quinine Sugar Tea Cotton the Potato and Coca ranging from helpful good bad delicious to to to downright unhealthy First sugar:
Sugar Sugar comes in in several forms – fructose lactose lactose sucrose galactose maltose and and xylose Sugar Sugar is found in in plants from fruit honey milk barley sugar sugar cane cane wood and and straw Sucrose from sugar sugar cane cane has affected the the the population the the the most In the the the beginning it it was thought to to have magical powers but now it it is used mostly in in in in in in cooking Have you ever tried reducing sugar to to to make toffee in in in in in a a a a a a a a a a pan and unfortunately burned it? The simple formula C6-H12-O6 breaks down into six six carbon molecules molecules molecules and and six six water water molecules molecules molecules The water water molecules molecules molecules evaporate and and the the the crusty carbon carbon is is left on on on the the the bottom of the the the pan perhaps unremovable Now that is is organic! Pure carbon carbon Our sweet history began in in in in Polynesia where sugar cane is is native and and in in in in in the the Grass family When it finally traveled to to China and and India India in in in in in 1000 B B C C the the the the plant was was chewed as as as as an an an an an an aphrodisiac Along the the the Ganges in in in Bihar India India the the the sap was was was granulated three hundred years years later For nearly 2000 years years it was was refined and slowly traveled westward to to Europe during the Middle Ages through through Venice and and and and Amsterdam and and and and onward to to England Denmark and and and and Sweden in the the 1300s From 1690 through through 1790 Europe Europe imported 12 million tons of sugar Before the the the sixteenth century the the the whole whole European world had managed with miniscule quantities of of sugar a a a a a a a a mere pinch “per head for the the the whole whole of of history” up till then At one point ten pounds of of sugar sugar was worth an an an ounce of of gold Rather than transporting expensive refined sugar sugar the the the Portuguese brought plants instead and and raised them in in in in in in Madeira the the the the Azores and and and and Sao Tome The enterprising Spanish planted in in in in in the the the the Canary Islands and and and and soon the the the the trade line from Italy was cut and and and the the the the price went way down Fifty years later Spanish royalty sent Columbus on on his second journey with cane plants from the the Canary Islands to Haiti in 1494 Within a a a a a a short time time acres of sugar cane were growing and owners would need need workers to harvest Around this time time there was was great unrest in in England and and and the the Irish needed work work work They were were told that work work was was available in in in in this new land land of Haiti so willingly they sailed west and and were were unbeknownst turned into slaves instead (That was a a a a a a a a a a a detail that had been glossed over in in in in our school history as as kids ) More people were needed Spain was the the the first country to to to send slaves to to to the the the new world Over the the the the centuries after battles European and Asian victors commonly used the the the the defeated people people as slaves but Spain knew about the the the the people people in in in Africa so so soon they were invaded and taken to the the Caribbean Sugar Sugar is is is not a a a a a a a a food food group in the old food food pyramid In our recent centuries it it it is is is is is nearly heresy to to say “Sugar is is is is is unnecessary to to any endeavor it it it is is is is is not healthy and and and is is is is is addictive” We know it it it causes tooth decay and and and diabetes It exacerbates heart disease and and and causes cancer to to to to to grow faster in in some cases but we love sugar It is added to to to to so so many foods Try to to to to stop eating real or artificial sugar Nearly impossible However there is is some “good news sugar” to savor Long before crystallized sugar sugar people ate honey honey honey Bee honey honey honey is is is referenced in Egyptian history back to to 5551 B B B C There were many honey honey honey sources from Babylon Babylon listed in in the the Old Testament and it was thought to prolong life in in in in the the aged Ancient Egypt Babylon Babylon Ur and and Persia used it in in in in ceremonies Honey was only hunted in in in in the the wild at first Bee husbandry began in in in 650 B B C The Romans kept bees and and and and spread it to to all all their conquered lands Eventually the the the the the Slavs Celts and and and Germans used honey to to make mead until the the the the end of the the the the 15th century when the the the the new cane sugar arrived Honey sugar sugar has some some healing powers against some some colds and wounds For all the the the sugar sugar in in in in in the the the world that is the the the only only beneficial consequence I I can only only think in in in in terms of moderation as I I will continue to eat eat sugary treats In our Gardens
Written by Johanna Kitson Master Gardner
SEEDS OF CHANGE
Six Plants That Transformed Mankind
TOC
19 INDEX