From rarefied medicine to colonial invader to public health menace, the story of the world’s most influential flavor.

"If you want to understand Western history, you have to understand sugar. And vice versa. Because sugar’s not just something sweet: over the centuries it’s been a medicine, a spice, a symbol of royalty, and an instrument of disease, addiction, and oppression.

Here’s a selective highlight reel of just how sugar has shaped our world, from India to Hawaii and everywhere in between...

From rarefied medicine to colonial invader to public health menace, the story of the world’s most influential flavor.

"If you want to understand Western history, you have to understand sugar. And vice versa. Because sugar’s not just something sweet: over the centuries it’s been a medicine, a spice, a symbol of royalty, and an instrument of disease, addiction, and oppression.

Here’s a selective highlight reel of just how sugar has shaped our world, from India to Hawaii and everywhere in between...