274 pages
English language
Published Jan. 6, 1986 by Penguin Books.
In thid book the author shows how Europeans and Americans transformed sugar from a rare foreign luxury to a commonplace necessity of modern life, and how it changed the history of capitalism and industry. He discusses the production and consumption of sugar, and reveals how closely interwoven are sugar's origins as a "slave" crop grown in Europe's tropical colonies with its use first as an extravagant luxury for the aristocracy, then as a staple of the diet of the new industrial proletariat. Finally, he considers how sugar has altered work patterns, eating habits, and our diet in modern times.
Mintz has complied an intriguing history of sugar production and consumption, focused mostly on the UK. While limited in scope, the deep analysis of 500 year old cookbooks and analysis of the common people's eating habits are fascinating. I especially liked the sections examining the movement of women into the factory workforce and the impact on sugar and prepared food consumption in the 1800s.
