The Baltimore Refinery of American Sugar Refining Inc.

摘要

Having first discovered the sweet taste of sucrose in fruit, early civilizations began to cultivate natural sweeteners from other plants. As a rich source of sucrose, sugarcane became more and more popular in sugar manufacturing. The production of sucrose in syrup form was introduced in New Guinea more than 12,000 years ago. India was next in developing sugar production, followed by China, further expanding the cultivation of cane plants. As trade between Asia and Western civilizations increased, sugar joined silk and cotton as prized commodities. Explorers such as Christopher Columbus brought sugarcane plants to the New World. Introduction of new methods for removal of impurities and improving color gained momentum in the 1800s. By the 1830s, sugar production became a major U. S. industry.