Tag: Plant stems

Over 70% of the world's sugar is produced from sugarcane, and surprisingly, the fibrous stalks are the very part people chew on for a sweet treat. While the industrial process extracts the juice to make sugar, many cultures enjoy the raw stems of sugarcane for their natural, refreshing taste.

Over 80% of the calories consumed by humans come from starch, a carbohydrate produced and stored by plants. While photosynthesis occurs in leaves, plants must transport and store this energy throughout their structure, including the stem. The answer to "Does stem contain starch?" is a resounding yes, though the amount and specific location vary greatly between species.