Sugarcane is not native to the Americas, and sugar (crystallized sugar) was not discovered in the Americas.

Sugarcane is native to South and Southeast Asia. About the 8th century AD, it was discovered in India how to turn sugarcane juice into crystallized sugar.

Sugar spread from India east to China and West to the Middle East. It was noticed by Europeans during the Crusades. Venice began cultivating sugar, first in Outremer, later in Cyprus, by about 1200.

Sugarcane cultivation to supply Europe spread to areas with a suitable climate, of which there were not many in the European ambit, the Canary Islands became the largest growers before the spread of cultivation to the Caribbean.

Sugar remained expensive in Europe until growing production in Brazil and the Caribbean brought down prices in the 18th century.

During the Napoleonic Wars, when continental Europe was mostly cut off from Caribbean sugar by the British, production of sugar from the sugar beet was developed. By 1880, sugar beets, rather than sugarcane had become the main crop source for European sugar.

Before sugar was known in Europe, honey was the main sweetener used in foods. It was expensive, so most people did not get many sweet things to eat.