Did you know?

About sugar

• A grain of sugar under the microscope is a translucent crystal, reflecting light from its 14 facets like a jewel

• In the late 16th Century, a teaspoon of sugar cost the equivalent of ten pounds in London

Sugar and medicine

• Sugar helps heal wounds. Sugar has been used for centuries to successfully aid in the healing of wounds. Sugar dries the wound thus preventing the growth of bacteria

• Pharmaceutical manufacturers use sugar to grow penicillin

Sugar and work

• Film stuntmen use bottles and plate glass windows made of sugar

• Sugar hardens asphalt. It slows the setting of ready-mixed concrete and glue

• Sugar is used in leather tanning, printers' inks and dyes and even in textile sizing and finishing

Sugar and people

• A pinch of sugar on the tongue is a traditional remedy for hiccups

• A spoonful of sugar added to a vase will prolong the life of freshly cut flowers

• Babies are born with an innate preference for the sweet taste

• Our great grandmothers used sugar to starch their petticoats

• Sugar is brain food. Sugar, and carbohydrates in general, are converted to blood glucose - the fundamental fuel needed by the brain

Sugar and food

• A teaspoon of sugar after a hot curry will extinguish the furnace in your mouth

• During World War II only 4oz sugar was allowed to be bought per person per week as part of the rations

• Sugar caramelizes under heat. Caramelization gives cooked vegetables a pleasing taste, colour and aroma. Sugar in glazes and sauces provides caramelized flavors for cooked meats

• Sugar has been an important food ingredient for centuries. Experts place the origin of sugar in the South Pacific about 8000 years ago

• Sugar helps foods brown. When bread is toasted or cookies are baked, sugar combines with proteins to produce the appetizing brown colour and pleasing aromas

• Sugar inhibits mould and yeast growth. Sugar increases the useful life of jams and jellies by binding the water needed by mould and yeast for growth

• Sugar makes nutritious foods tasty enough to eat. Just imagine what healthy foods like oatmeal, grapefruit and bran muffins would taste like without a sprinkle of sugar

• Sugar softens acidity in foods. Sugar improves the taste of salad dressings, tomato sauces and many other acidic foods by balancing their tartness

• A 4g teaspoon of sugar has just 16 calories