3 ms·
This suggests that sugar was introduced to Western Europe by the Crusades. So depending on the exact date, the brewers may not have had sugar alternatives to ho
by harimau777 3y ago
This suggests that sugar was introduced to Western Europe by the Crusades. So depending on the exact date, the brewers may not have had sugar alternatives to honey at all! Crazy to think that something considered such a basic ingredient in cooking may not have been available at all.
https://makingsenseofsugar.com/all-about-sugar/history-of-sugar/#:~:text=Sugar%20was%20only%20discovered%20by,including%20the%20importation%20of%20sugar https://makingsenseofsugar.com/all-about-sugar/history-of-su....
- adastra22 3y agoWell, where would it have grown? Sugar cane is a tropical plant. It's only modern (well, post Age of Sail) transportation logistics that makes it available to global consumers.
- spython 3y agoA lot of sugar is produced from sugar beet - particularly in climates too cold for sugar cane.
- jhbadger 3y agoThe method for extracting sugar from beets was discovered only in the Renaissance (most typically attributed to the French agronomist Olivier de Serres (1539-1619), so medieval people wouldn't have access to beet sugar even if they had beets.
- masklinn 3y agoNot only that but the modern sugar beet is a completely different beast bred for the task, with 10x more sugar than the average food beetroot.
- thfuran 3y agoPrecolumbian European cooking was missing a whole lot of now-basic ingredients, among them tomatoes, potatoes, capsicum, and common beans.