Academic Foci

"Overuse [of the word 'saccarine'] probably helped
to cheapen the word's power on the tongue,
but I think the advent of cheap sugar in Europe,
and perhapds especially cane sugar produced by the slaves,
is what did the most to discount sweetness,
both as experience and metaphor.
(The final insult came
with the invention of synthetic sweetners.)"

--Michael Pollan (2001)

And there you have it: class / race / technology.