Question

After the Egyptians crushed cut cane and captured the juice, they boiled and strained the liquid, let it settle, then strained it again. The cane juice was now poured into molds with holes in the bottom, so that all the liquid could drain out, leaving only a powder. That powder was then mixed with milk and boiled again. After one round of these steps, the process was repeated all over again. As a result of all this effort and care, Egypt was known for the “whitest and purest” sugar.

–Sugar Changed the World,
Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos

What is the central idea of the passage?

Egyptians boiled and strained liquid to form sugar.
Egyptians had a special process for refining white sugar.
Egyptians were hard workers who overcame many challenges.
Egyptians crushed sugar cane and used the juice as a sweetener.

Answer 1

Egyptians had a special process for refining white sugar.

Explanation: The passage describes the careful multi-step boiling, straining, draining, and reboiling that Egyptians used to produce the “whitest and purest” sugar, emphasizing their refining method.