What Are Sugar Cubes Made Of?
Sugar cubes are made from granulated sugar and a small amount of water or syrup, compressed and molded in the shape of a cube, and allowed to dry. Before the widespread use of individual packets of sweetener, sugar cubes were a convenient means of portion control, especially for hot drinks. Does this Spark an idea?
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Measurements
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While there is no standard weight or volume for a modern sugar cube, the average weight of a sugar cube is 4 grams and has a volume equal to that of 1 teaspoon.
Sugar Loaves
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Because Europe is a poor growing environment for sugar cane, sugar refiners there generally relied on the sugar beet to produce this sweetener. The finished product was frequently pressed into the shape of a loaf. These "sugar loaves" carried with them the risk of injury, as sugar had to be chopped from the loaf before it could be used.
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"Tea Sugar"
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First marketed as "tea sugar" in Vienna in the mid-19th century, the idea of the sugar cube was conceived by Juliana Rad, who suggested it to her husband, Jakub Krystof Rad, the director of a sugar refinery, after she was injured cutting a loaf a sugar.
"One Lump or Two?"
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The tightly compressed form of a sugar cube made it well suited for hot drinks such as coffee, tea and certain alcoholic beverages. The ritual for consumption of the infamous spirit, absinthe, involved pouring the green liquor over a sugar cube using a special slotted spoon.
Other Uses
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Individual packs of sugar and other sweeteners eventually replaced the sugar cube on the table. Sugar cubes have been used as a delivery system in medicine, such as the oral polio vaccine and illicit drugs such as LSD.
Sugar cubes have also been decorated for special occasions and used as material for craft projects.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Phil
