Why is 'Sugar' Called 'Cheeni'? Made in India, But What's the Connection to China? You Probably Don’t Know the Answer
Sugar is definitely found in everyone's kitchen, no matter what else. Its sweetness is so deeply embedded in our tongue that we cannot consider it as something different from us. Have you ever wondered why the sugar made from sugarcane is called sugar, when it is purely Indian.
The process of making sugar from sugarcane was invented in India and its information is given in the Ayurvedic text 'Charak Samhita' written in the seventh century BC. Kautilya's Arthashashtra also mentions 5 types of sugar including jaggery and sugar candy. There is no other description of making sugar as old as this in the world.
Actually, it was used in India - shakti, which is different from sugar. Sugar was made by heating the juice of sugarcane and then drying it. White-transparent and granulated sugar has a deep connection with China. In the memoirs of Italian merchant, explorer and ambassador Marco Polo in the 13th century, it is mentioned that the emperor of China, Kublai Khan, had called artisans from Egypt, who taught the people of China to make granulated sugar.
Since this technique was brought to India from China during the Mughal period, the sugar made from this process was called 'chini'. This name became so popular for white sugar that white granulated sugar reached every household. The record of setting up the first sugar mills in India is found in 1610.
Even though sugar does not contain much vitamins and minerals, it has been used for diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and cough. Not only this, it has been used in Europe to heal wounds and injuries. Just remember, if sugar is eaten in small quantity, it gives taste and if eaten in large quantity, it is a storehouse of diseases.
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