The history of sugar goes back quite some time, as you will find out a few facts later, where it has basically always played its part as a sweetener. However, when it was first introduced in England in the Middle Ages via the legendary Silk Road trade routes through the Middle-East, it was known as a spice. That’s because it was thrown in with ginger, cinnamon, saffron and other exotic spices, only available to the wealthy elites.