Sweetness and Power by Sidney Mintz (1985)

the big contribution: bringing together analyses of production, distribution, and consumption

sucrose and sugar
    cane and beets
    domestication and introduction to Europe
    New World (Brazil, Caribbean)

production process
refinement

arguments about when capitalism began: were the sugar plantations capitalist? 
    -reread pp. 50-61 after the section on Marx
slavery

the two trade triangles:
    1. guns, metal tools, cloth, etc. from England shipped to West Africa-->
        slaves bought in West Africa shipped to the Americas-->
        tobacco, sugar, and other raw material shipped to England
    2. New England rum shipped to West Africa-->
        African slaves shipped to Caribbean to work on sugar plantations-->
       Caribbean molasses shipped to New England to make rum 

English uses: decoration, medicine, status marker, labour enhancer
white versus dark sugars
   
    in 1650: a rare luxury
    by 1750: widely used
    by 1850: a staple (50lbs./year/per capita)
    by 1900: provided 1/6 of caloric intake (90lbs/year/person)

drug foods: tobacco, sugar, coffee, cacao, tea
    coffee and tea introduced to courts in late 17th century
    the first coffeehouse in London opens in 1652
tea, sweetened with sugar, becomes beverage of choice
    correlated to a reduction alcoholism
    (opium wars in China, 1830-1860)