The discovery of sugar and spice was a turning point in history and both substances quickly became extremely sought after worldwide. The impact that sugar and spice had on the world at this time was phenomenal, it began as a luxury but rapidly evolved to a necessity with its many attributes becoming vital to existence. Oil can be viewed in the same way as it too is a substance that impacts nearly everyone's life and something the modern generation has become dependant upon. .
It seems in today's modern society that oil plays a fundamental role. Everyday many people would come into contact with petrol either directly or indirectly. People have come to rely on petrol for work and general daily activities. Without its multiple uses there are many things that would cease to occur and so it can be seen that it is an imperative aspect of our lives. This is much the same for sugar and spice, which became important and so desperately required in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries because it provided people with aspects of life they previously never had.
Firstly sugar had medical benefits, from sore eyes to stomach upsets. Spice became extremely valuable in food preservation. It became possible to preserve meat over the winter when it was financially difficult to feed stock; this was a far better option than spending money on grain for feed. The spices were also useful in the way in which they disguised spoilage of the meat and although unknown at the time had the ability to destroy bacteria. Sugar and spice also changed the diet of many people. Bread and jam became a meal that was easy and provided energy and jam soon replaced honey. It was not just the wealthy that had access to sugar and spice. With the social changes occurring, sugar and spice touched the homes of poorer families as increased imports occurred.
Sugar, spice and oil are similar in the way they dominated or dominate the world.