Sugar No.11

Lou Bega dropped his fresh take on “Mambo No. 5” back in 1999, and we’ve been waiting for the sequel song ever since. (And so have Monica, Erica, Rita, Tina, and Sandra.) Is “Sugar No. 11” the follow-up smash hit we’ve been pining for all these years?

Why, no. No, it is not. It’s something entirely different. Mr. Bega…we’re all waiting.

Anyway, “Sugar No. 11” is the benchmark futures contract for trading raw sugar around the globe. One Sugar No. 11 contract represents 112,000 pounds of raw, unrefined cane sugar. Why is this important? Well, there are a number of reasons. First of all, raw sugar is the foundation upon which all other refined sugar products are built. So the price of Sugar No. 11 can have a big impact on the price of things we purchase at the store down the line, like cookies. Second, changes in laws, regulations, weather, and consumer preferences regarding sugar can potentially have a big economic effect on the areas that produce it, which can also impact its price and, thus, the price of cookies. And third, if we’re into commodities investing and are paying attention to those first two points we made, Sugar No. 11 might be a, um...sweet way to make a little money. Which we can spend on cookies.

Or on the inevitable “Mambo No. 6” EP, which we’re sure is going to be released any day now.