In Europe, the original sweet syrups were made not from cane, but from grapes. Ital-ian saba is grape juice cooked down to a concentrated, viscous syrup. It contains about equal amounts of glucose and fructose, and in addition has a distinct tartness due to the simultaneous concentration of the grape acids. In the 16th century, Nostradamus described making various sweet preparations with saba, and noted that “in places where there is neither sugar nor honey, the sovereign sun produces and nourishes other fruits which . . . come to satisfy our sensuous desire. . . .”