500 A.D.do we find “unmistakable written evidence” of the production of molasses and crystallized sugar from the Hindu doctrine Buddhagosa (Mintz, 23). The western expansion of the Arabs during the 7th and 8th centuries marked the beginning of introduction of sugar to Europe and to the West; the invasions of Egypt and Spain not only brought sugar cane cultivation to Morocco and the Canary Islands but made sugar an available yet scarce and very valuable commodity in Western Europe. The Crusades only exacerbated the overwhelming demand and Europeans were hungry for land in climates that could sustain the sugarcane plant. First prized as a medicine and then a luxurious spice by Europeans during the Middle Ages, refined sugar would soon be valued as a sign of ultimate wealth and power. Sugar production of the New World would begin with the transplanting of sugar cane from the Canary Islands into Hispaniola by Christopher Columbus at the end of the 15th century. By 1509, sugar began to be produced widely in the West Indies for profit and the British, French, Portuguese and the Dutch began to cultivate sugar cane in other West Indian nations, Brazil, Mexico and Central America.

Sugarcane is a group of six species of grass native to southern Asia in the Poaceae family, four of which are cultivated. Around 32 million acres of sugarcane are currently planted worldwide with the most cultivation occurring in Brazil, India and China. The plants grow in groups of solid cane-like stalks with notched joints called nodes which house buds that may be planted for propagation. Since the plant carries no seed, a stalk with several nodes is planted and new stalks grow from the buds, much like the eyes of a potato. Canes ripe for harvest are generally eight to twenty feet tall and one to three centimeters thick

Sugar cane propagation is through stem cuttings of immature canes 8-12 months old. These are called "setts", "seed", "seed- cane" or "seed-pieces". The setts are best if taken from the upper third of the cane because the buds are younger and less likely to dry out. The setts can be planted at a 45 degree angle or laid horizontally in a furrow. It takes 12,500 - 20,000 setts to plant one hectare (Purseglove 1979). The setts are lightly covered with soil until they sprout (10-14 days) and then the sides of the furrow are turned inward (McIlroy 1963). Sugar cane is a perennial crop which usually produces crops for about 3-6 years before being replanted. The first crop is called the "plant crop" and takes 9-24 months to mature, depending on location (Purseglove 1979). Reaping is usually done by hand with a cutlass, although mechanical harvesters are being developed. The cane is cut close to the ground because the lower stem has the highest sugar content and it aids in ratooning, the emergence of new crops from the stems and trash (leaves and tops) left behind (McIlroy 1963). Ratoon crops take about one year to mature. As many as four or more ratoon crops may be produced before replanting is necessary, mostly due to the slow decline in yields (McIlroy 1963, Purseglove 1979).

Once cut, the sugar is extracted through a long process of grinding, soaking, heating and cooling which creates two products: refined sugar (sucrose) and molasses, a thick syrup. The crystallized white sugar that we use in our kitchens and at our dinner tables requires a synchronized effort by plantation workers in order for a quality product to be made – according to Mintz, “what we call ‘sugar’ is the end product of an ancient, complex and difficult process” (Mintz, 21).