Sugar can be made from two main sources, either the sugar cane or sugar beet. Its history of introduction into Western Europe is traced back to the early growth of the sugar cane prior to the 6th century B.C.E. in Polynesia. It is thought to have then been grown in India in the beginning of the 5th century B.C.E, where Emperor Darius of Persia noted its existence, and gave it great popularity in the Arabic world.

Europeans didn’t discover sugar until the Crusades brought them into contact with Arabic culture. They referred to it as the new “spice,” and use of sugar was primarily restricted to the extremely wealthy. A pound of sugar was prohibitively expensive for most people.

Early sugar from the cane went through a refining process in Italy, and when Columbus left on his travels, he reportedly took sugar cane plants with him, which were then established in the Caribbean. The climate of Caribbean islands lent itself perfectly to sugar cane growth, since sugar cane is best grown in tropic or near tropic temperatures. This expansion of ability to grow lots of sugar cane, gradually led to the establishment of sugar plantations throughout the Caribbean.

Britain had established over 100 sugar refineries by the 18th century, yet sugar remained expensive. Even with this high number of refineries sugar was still difficult to get, and the British government placed super-high taxes on it. It would take about 100 more years before sugar would be available to the common man, who still primarily used honey as sweetener.

At the same time, sugar was made more available by the introduction of the sugar beet. Much of the sugar available in Europe by the late 19th century was from beet and not cane. Today only about 30% of the world’s sugar is made from the sugar beet. The other 70% is made from cane. Sugar cane is grown in the Southern US, Mexico, South America, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Northern parts of Australia. Beets tend to be grown in cooler climates, like Canada, the former Soviet Union, and Western Europe.

American sugar can come from cane grown in either California or Hawaii, under the famous C&H brand. Florida is also a major producer and distributor of sugar, but severe hurricanes have occasionally halted both production and distribution. Northwestern Europe tends to get most of its sugar from beets, which grow well in less sunny climates. Irish sugar from beets is particularly favored.