European civilization was not exposed to sugar until much later. Probably the first contact with sugar traders was during the Crusades of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. French, Roman and English soldiers started to bring ‘sweet salt’ back to Europe, stimulating the interest of royalty and other wealthy citizens. Spain, Cyprus and Portugal (Madeira) started to produce their own sugar, but the price remained extremely high due to intensive labour costs in growing and processing it. It remained a rare, expensive delicacy.
