Sweet: A Global History of Sugar

Catalog description

In 2015, The Washington Post reported that on average, Americans consumed 126 grams of sugar per day, more than double the amount recommended by the World Health Organization. Yet China and India, which had the earliest known mass production of sugar, consume much less. Why? Applying the overlapping theories and methodologies of cultural history and anthropology as well as other components of Food Studies, this class will explore the world travels and vicissitudes of sugar as a commodity and cultural marker. We will trace sugar's production in the first age of capitalism and its reliance on the global slave trade for production as well as the development of its rituals of consumption, in conjunction with other stimulants and intoxicants, such as chocolate, tea, and rum. We will consider the rise of the modern western obsession with sweets in comparison to other cultures, using our own experiences and observations.