Sugarcane somewhat resembles corn and sorghum, with a large terminal panicle and a noded stalk.
In biblical times, one of the known sweetening agents in the world was honey. Later, sugarcane plants were introduced by Spanish and Portuguese explorers of the 15th and 16th cent. Cuba and India together produce a large percentage of the world's tropical sugar, cane sugar. Cane is harvested by cutting down the plant stalks, which are then pressed several times to extract the juice. The juice is concentrated by evaporation into dark, sticky sugar, often sold locally.