Sugar cane
Scientific name: Saccharum officinarum
Sugarcane is a giant, tropical, perennial grass that grows up to six metres high. Its stalk contains sweet juice from which sugar can be extracted.
Where does it grow?
Sugar cane is believed to be native to the Burma-China-India area of southern Asia. Sugar requires a hot humid climate, alternating with dry periods, and thrives best at low elevations on flat or slightly sloping land, with stiff loamy or alluvial soil. However, it flourishes in any ordinary good soil, provided the necessary moisture is available. It therefore ranges from 'warm temperate dry' to 'wet forest' life zones. Sugarcane is cultivated in 70 countries; as far north as Spain and as far south as South Africa. Demand for white refined sugar is traditionally in the developed world and to help reach such demand, imports of raw sugar come from countries such as Cuba, Hawaii, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Brazil and India.
Sugar cane plants
Fascinating facts
The late 17th and early 18th centuries saw a rapid expansion of the sugar industry in the Caribbean area. This growth industry was closely linked with the slave trade of that time. Fresh cane stems are often chewed, especially by local people and has been the case since ancient times.
Cane sugar was first produced in India approximately 3000 years ago. The juice squeezed from the cane was placed over an open fire until the water had evaporated off. What was left was a dark product, which contained sucrose. This method is still used in various parts of the world and the dark sweet substance is known by various names (eg. 'gur' in India).
How is it used?
Sugar cane products include cane sugar, cane syrup, molasses, wax and rum.
Molasses (known as 'molascuit') is used as a sweetener in industrial alcohol, for manufacturing explosives, in synthetic rubber, in combustion engines and for the production of rum!
Refuse cane (known as 'bagasse') is used in the manufacture of paper, cardboard, and fuel. A mixture of bagasse and molascuit is used as a cattle feed. The ground and dried cane (after juice has been expressed) makes excellent mulch and can be baled and shipped economically, because of its light weight.
The leaves can be made into; pens, mats, screens, and thatch. Some cultures use sugar cane ceremoniously. The saw-edge of the sugar cane leaf is used to scar the skin, in preparation for tattooing.
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