Caribbean Influences on American Food: Sugar and Slaves

One of the lasting legacies of the sugar trade with the Caribbean was the American sweet tooth—cheap sugar was as much an emblem of American freedom and prosperity as cheap meat. British efforts to control and tax the New England trade were the cause of tensions from the 1680s to the Revolution. The by-product of the refineries—molasses—flavored Boston baked beans, Indian pudding, and hermit cookies. Under the table, New England–based ships also traded for or pirated cheaper French and Spanish sugar and slaves. In the Caribbean, salt cod from New England and Newfoundland was a staple slave food, though centuries would pass before delicious codfish fritters returned to New England with Caribbean immigrants.