It
seems that sugar is blamed for every human ailment these days, and indeed some
call it ‘the Sweet Poison.’ There certainly seems to be increasing scientific
evidence for some of its harmful effects, although the issue seems to be the
sheer quantity that is consumed rather than an intrinsic harm.
One
form of sugar was suspected of being poisonous over three hundred years ago
too, although the evidence is anecdotal, and the context very specific. The
story appears in the resource which gave us Friday’s story on Tonquin Eggs - A Collection of Several Relations &
Treatises Singular and Curious (1680) by Jean-Baptiste Tavernier. In the
chapter on The Commodities of the
Dominions of the Great Mogul, the author has this to say:
Powder’d sugar is
brought in great quantities out of the Kingdom of Bengala; is causes also a very great Trade at Ougeli, Patna, Daca, and other places. I have been told
it for a very great certainty, be several ancient people in Bengala, that Sugar being kept thirty
years becomes absolute poison, and there is no Venom more dangerous, or that
sooner works its effect. Loaf sugar is also made at Amadabat, where they are perfectly skill’d in refining it; for which
reason it is calle’d Sugar Royal. These Sugar Loaves usually weigh from eight
to ten pound.
I
have never come across this belief before, and hope to have time in the future
to investigate it. It is a pity that the writer does not give any explanation
for the belief, so perhaps none was communicated to him. I am pretty sure sugar
cannot become harmful no matter how long it is kept – nor can I think of any
reason that sugar would be kept so long in any case. Perhaps some sugar
manufacturer or supplier perpetrated the idea in order to protect his stores
from theft? If anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear them.
For
the early seventeenth century British/European perspective on sugar, here are
the words of the famous horticulturalist John Gerard from his book The Herball Or Generall Historie of Plantes
published in 1636:
Of Sugar Cane.
The Description.
Sugar Cane is a
pleasant and profitable Reed, hauing long stalkes seuen or eight foot high,
ioynted or kneed like vnto the great Cane; the leaues come forth of euerie
joynt on euery side of the stalke one, like vnto wings, long, narrow, and
sharpe pointed. The Cane it selfe, or stalke is not hollow as other Canes or
Reeds are, but full, and stuffed with a spongeous substance in taste exceeding
sweet. The root is great and long, creeping along within the vpper crust of the
earth, which is likewise sweet and pleasant, but lesse hard or woody than other
Canes or Reeds; from the which there doth shoot forth many yong siens, which
are cut away from the maine or mother plant, because they should not draw away
the nourishment from the old stocke, and so get vnto themselues a little
moisture, or else some substance not much worth, and cause the stocke to be
barren, and themselues little the better; which shoots do serue for plants to
set abroad for encrease.
Arundo Saccharina.
Sugar Cane.
The place.
The Sugar Cane groweth
in many parts of Eu∣rope
at this day, as in Spaine, Portugal, Olbia, and in Prouence. It groweth also in
Barbarie, generally almost euery where in the Canarie Islands, and in those of
Madera, in the East and West Indies, and many other places. My selfe did plant
some shoots thereof in my garden, and some in Flanders did the like: but the
coldnesse of our clymate made an end of mine, and I thinke the Flemings will
haue the like profit of their labour.
The time.
This Cane is planted at
any time of the yeare in those hot countries where it doth naturally grow, by
reason they 〈◊〉 no frosts to hurt the yong shoots at
their first planting.
The Names.
The Latines haue called
this plant Arundo Saccharina, with
this additament, Indica, because it
was first knowne or brought from India. Of some it is called Calamus Saccharatus: in English Sugar
Cane: in Dutch Suyickerriedt.
The Nature and vertues.
The Sugar or juice of
this Reed is of a temperate qualitie; it drieth and cleanseth the stomacke, maketh
smooth the roughnesse of the brest and lungs, cleareth the voice, and putteth
away hoarsenesse, the cough, and all sournesse and bitternesse, as Isaac saith
in Dictis.
The vse.
Of the iuyce of this
Reed is made the most pleasant and profitable sweet, called Sugar, whereof is
made infinite confections, confectures, syrups, and such like, as also
preseruing and conseruing of sundry fruits, herbes, and flowers, as Roses,
Violets, Rosemary flowers, and such like, which still retaine with them the
name of Sugar, as Sugar Roset, Sugar violet, &c. The which to write of
would require a peculiar volume, and not pertinent vnto this historie, for that
it is not my purpose to make of my booke a Confectionarie, a Sugar Bakers
furnace, a Gentlewomans preseruing pan, nor yet an Apothecaries shop or
Dispensatorie; but onely to touch the chiefest matter that I purposed to handle
in the beginning, that is, the nature, properties, and descriptions of plants.
Notwithstanding I thinke it not amisse to shew vnto you the ordering of these
reeds
when they be new
gathered, as I receiued it from the mouth of an Indian my seruant: he saith,
They cut them in small pieces, and put them into a trough made of one whole
tree, wherein they put a great stone in manner of a mill-stone, whereunto they
tie a horse, buffle, or some other beast which draweth it round: in which
trough they put those pieces of Canes, and so crush and grind them as we do the
barkes of trees for Tanners, or apples for Cyder. But in some places they vse a
great wheele, wherein slaues do tread and walke as dogs do in turning the spit:
and some others do feed as it were the bottome of the said wheele, wherein are
some sharpe or hard things which do cut and crush the Canes into powder. And
some likewise haue found the inuention to turne the wheele with water workes,
as we do our iron mills. The Canes being thus brought into dust or powder, they
put them into great cauldrons with a little water, where they boyle vntill
there be no more sweetnesse left in the crushed reeds. Then doe they straine
them through mats and such like things, and put the liquor to boyle againe vnto
the consistence of honey, which being cold is like vnto sand both in shew and
handling, but somewhat softer; and so afterward it is car∣ried into all parts of
Europe, where it is by the Sugar Bakers artificially purged and purged to that
whitenesse as we see.
As
the recipe for the day, I give you a lovely seventeenth century recipe which required
a lot of sugar: it is from A Book of
Fruits and Flowers, published in London in 1653
To Preserve all kinde of Flowers in
the Spanish Candy in Wedges.
Take Violets, Cowslips,
or any other kinde of Flowers, pick them, and temper them with the pap of two
roasted Apples, and a drop or two of Verjuice, and a graine of Muske, then take
halfe a pound of fine hard Sugar, boyle it to the height of Manus Christi*, then
mix them together, and pour it on a wet Pye plate, then cut it it in Wedges
before it be through cold, gild it, and so you may box it, and keep it all the
year. It is a fine sort of Banquetting stuffe, and newly used, your Manus
Christi must boyle a good while and be kept with good stirring.
*Manus Christi: (lit. ‘Hand of Christ’) -
a sugar syrup or cordial used for medicinal purposes, particularly as a tonic
or restorative.
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