Discover how sugar appears in nature and drives our food and economy.
Sugar plays a central role in both plants and animals. This book explains how green plants manufacture sugars from carbon dioxide and water, and how different plants store and use sugar in roots, fruits, seeds, and sap. It covers cane sugar, beet sugar, and maple sugar, showing how these chemically similar sugars appear in many foods you eat every day and in the natural world around us. The text also places sugar in a broader picture, tracing its growth from ancient uses to modern production and trade.
From the first pages you’ll see why cane sugar long dominated the market, how beets became a major source, and why the same sugar molecule can come from several different plants. You’ll also get a clear sense of where sugar comes from in today’s supply chain, including the balance between refining centers and production zones in the United States and abroad.
- How sugars form in plants and where they are stored
- The differences and similarities among cane, beet, and maple sugar
- The early history, spread, and industrialization of sugar production
- The factors that influence sugar content, farming, and processing
Ideal for readers of science and history who want a practical view of where sugar comes from and how it affects everyday food and global trade.