▁that ch . ▁The ▁young , ▁un expand ed ▁flower ▁head ▁of ▁Sac char um ▁ed ule ▁( d uru ka ) ▁is ▁e aten ▁raw , ▁ste amed , ▁or ▁to asted , ▁and ▁prepared ▁in ▁various ▁ways ▁in ▁S out heast ▁Asia , ▁including ▁F iji ▁and ▁certain ▁island ▁communities ▁of ▁Indones ia . ▁ ▁Sug arc ane ▁was ▁an ▁ancient ▁c rop ▁of ▁the ▁Aust ron esian ▁and ▁Pap uan ▁people . ▁It ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁Pol yn esia , ▁Island ▁Mel anes ia , ▁and ▁Mad agas car ▁in ▁pre histor ic ▁times ▁via ▁Aust ron esian ▁sail ors . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁introduced ▁to ▁southern ▁China ▁and ▁India ▁by ▁Aust ron esian ▁trad ers ▁at ▁around ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁BC . ▁The ▁Pers ians ▁and ▁Gree ks ▁encountered ▁the ▁famous ▁" re eds ▁that ▁produce ▁h oney ▁without ▁be es " ▁in ▁India ▁between ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁and ▁ 4 th ▁centuries ▁BC . ▁They ▁adopted ▁and ▁then ▁spread ▁sugar c ane ▁agricult ure . ▁Mer ch ants ▁began ▁to ▁trade ▁in ▁sugar , ▁which ▁was ▁considered ▁a ▁lux ur ious ▁and ▁expensive ▁sp ice , ▁from ▁India . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁AD , ▁sugar c ane ▁plant ations ▁began ▁in ▁Car ib bean , ▁South ▁American , ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁and ▁Pacific ▁island ▁nations ▁and ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁labor ers ▁became ▁a ▁major ▁driver ▁of ▁large ▁migr ations ▁of ▁people , ▁some ▁volunt arily ▁accepting