Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, molasses was the most commonly used sweetener in North America because it was cheaper than sugar and was readily imported from the West Indies. Even in the early twentieth century, molasses remained popular until sugar prices dropped after World War I, about the same time that Boston suffered its “Great Molasses Flood.” This flood occurred January 15,1919 when a huge boiler of molasses exploded at the Purity Distilling Company: two million gallons of hot molasses poured into the streets of Boston, killing twenty-one people and—needless to say—slowing traffic to a near-standstill. This catastrophe belies the sweet origin of the word molasses, deriving as it does from the Latin mel, meaning honey. This Latin word gave rise to another—ellaceum, a name given to certain new wines because of their sweetness—which was borrowed by Portuguese as melago. English then adopted this Portuguese word in the late sixteenth century as molasses, and bestowed it upon the syrup drained from raw sugar during refining. In the late seventeenth century, this word was more or less abandoned by the British, who started calling the same syrupy substance treacle; in North America, however, molasses has continued to be the usual name of the product. Deriving in part from the same Latin source as molasses is the word mellifluous, literally meaning honey-flowing and often applied to people with sweet, fluid voices. A more distant relative is the word mildew, a compound formed from dew and from melith, the Germanic cousin of the Latin mel. Mildew therefore means honey-dew and originated in the eleventh century as the name of the sticky resin secreted onto plant leaves by aphids. By the fourteenth century mildew shifted sense and came to refer, as it still does, to a fungus that grows on damp surfaces.
Dark sweet substance made of sugar before it has been refined.
A dense, saccharine, obsidian-colored syrup that emerges as a byproduct of the refining process of sugar.
Dive into the world of sugar refinement as we explore the encompassing term for the luscious, viscous syrup derived from the drainings of raw sugar or obtained during the process of sugar refinement. This versatile substance, known as molasses, presents itself in a range of hues, ranging from deep amber to dark brown. It is worth noting that the grade of molasses is often associated with its color, with lighter shades indicating a superior quality. Embrace the rich tones and distinctive flavors of molasses as you unlock its culinary potential, adding depth and sweetness to a myriad of delightful creations.