In 1319, Venetian merchants began importing raw Syrian sugar and refining it, establishing a lucrative monopoly on cane sugar in Europe. This refined sugar became a concentrated luxury item, accessible primarily to the wealthy elite. The Venetian monopoly not only transformed culinary practices but also had significant economic implications, influencing trade routes and social hierarchies.

The Venetian monopoly on cane sugar refinement shifted poetic associations of sweetness, linking it to luxury and desire. This change in symbolism influenced late medieval verse, where poets began to explore themes of excess and the darker sides of human longing.