There’s a good chance your cupboard holds a little piece – or package – of the world’s history.

“... Sweet stuff once played a major role in one of the sourest eras in modern times,” Heather Whipps, a freelance writer with a degree in anthropology, wrote in a recent LiveScience.com article. Whipps says sugar – or “white gold,” as British colonists described it – “was the engine of slave trade” that resulted in millions of Africans coming to the Americas in the 16th century. Sugar cane plantations used as cash crops had a lasting effect on a large part of the southern U.S. and South America.

“Profit from the sugar trade was so significant that it may have even helped America achieve independence from Great Britain,” said Whipps.

Americans each consume as much as 142 pounds of sugar every year. It affects attitudes – a treat may brighten someone’s day – and it affects health in terms of obesity and diabetes.

“Too much can affect your attitude,” said Reasor’s Bakery Manager Georgia Million.

Million is diabetic, and too much sugar “makes me mean,” she joked.

Sugar adds myriad flavor to foods, said Million.

“The more rich the product, the more sugar is in it,” she said.

She’s not sure how much sugar the bakery at the Tahlequah Reasor’s goes through in a day, but a quick glance at the coolers and tables around the area prove it takes quite a bit. As Pamela Bliss decorated a cake Tuesday afternoon, it became obvious how much sugar is involved in many desserts – from the basic batter, all the way to the icing that covers the dessert, and any sugary candies to throw light on the matter.

“Our killer brownies are very rich!” said Million.

That makes them the bakery’s top seller, most likely, said Million. Next comes Italian creme cakes.

“Those are popular with the public,” said Million. “Most prefer those to any others.”

Sugar is also an important part of Tippin’s pies, which are only sold in Oklahoma through Reasor’s. The grocery highlights a special pie each month, which is only available that month. Right now, the feature is a strawberry-banana, “and we’re getting ready to feature a banana-split pie,” said Million.

When they’re featured, the pies generally fly off the shelf, she said.

(But for those who don’t need or want some extra sugar, Million said a new feature will be no-sugar-added fruit pies.)