This text is part of the special Le Petit D
Are you about to go on a Halloween candy hunt? Did you know that sweets originate from plants?
The origin of sugar
In Antiquity, 2,500 years ago, the Persians discovered sugar by invading India. This sweet treat is extracted from a plant called sugar cane, probably native to Papua New Guinea. The cultivation of this plant then spread to several continents to make today the pleasure of several small sweet teeth!
In the Middle Ages, sugar was a rare and precious commodity. It was then used as a medicine, spice or preservative. Several hundred years will pass before the use of sugar spreads in homes and begins to be used in confectionery. According to different processes, we obtain white sugar, but also brown sugar and molasses from sugar cane. This plant is the most widely cultivated in the world: at least 1.9 billion tonnes per year!
All plants make sugars, but some produce more than others, which allows us to harvest them. The sugar present in modern candies comes mainly from sugar cane or even from sugar beets. There are also sugar maple, which gives the famous maple syrup, as well as cereals that produce sweet syrup (such as corn syrup).
A thousand and one flavors!
Mint, chocolate, orange, ginger, liquorice, anise, vanilla… Artisans who make sweets are spoiled for choice to give them a unique and different taste. Many of these aromas are produced naturally by plants. Today, in the confectionery industry, companies often use artificial flavors, that is, flavors that are made in the laboratory. They are much cheaper to produce than natural flavors. Artificial flavors, however, remain only an imitation of the taste and smell of their natural counterparts.
Natural flavors are obtained by using different parts of a plant. For example, in the case of natural vanilla essence, we use the fruits of the vanilla tree. The fruits are processed before going to crushing and extraction to obtain the essence of vanilla. As for chocolate, we use the beans contained in the pod (the fruit of the cocoa tree).
If the opportunity arises, you will be able to see several of these plants while browsing the tropical food plants greenhouse at the Montreal Botanical Garden. There are many different species to find!