75 taste of the south | OCTOBER 2019
Cane syrup starts with sugarcane that is crushed and
squeezed to release the juices (this was once done by a mule-
drawn mill, but is now handled by machines). The raw, sugary
liquid is boiled down to a rich, caramelized syrup inside giant
cast-iron kettles before being bottled or jarred for later use.
While granulated sugar was the prized product, cane syrup was
the by-product of the refi ning process that sugarcane growers
learned to make and use themselves. For those who make their
own today, cane syrup is a wintertime ritual.
In Abbeville, Louisiana, the Steen family has been making
cane syrup since 1910. What began as a way for founder C.S. Steen
Sr. to save his frozen sugarcane crop turned into a family-run
business that is still bustling more than a century later. As one of
the last and oldest refi neries in the United States, they represent
strong Southern tradition in the midst of constant change. A
bit northeast in Youngsville, Charles Poirier of Poirier’s Cane
Syrup is one of the few new age makers who began making the
sweet syrup after discovering that his great-great-grandfather
once grew his own cane and made his own syrup. Now Charles
plants, grows, mills, and produces his own cane syrup, just like
his relatives did ages ago.Though it has lost popularity in everyday use, sugarcane
has seen a resurgence on restaurant menus, as well as at the
hands of distillers across the South. One of Louisiana chef and
cookbook author Isaac Toups’ favorite Southern ingredients
happens to be cane syrup, which he uses in many ways, from
glazing pork chops to sweetening his coff ee. In Georgia,
Richland Rum uses sugarcane as their base ingredient to add
their signature earthy smoothness, and in South Louisiana,
Bayou Rum is doing it too.
For those who grew up with a jar in their pantry, cane syrup
is a part of their Southern being. And for those who have yet to try
this craveable creation, well, you’re in for a treat. Put your cane
syrup to good use in our perfectly autumnal Pumpkin-Sugarcane
Cake (page 74).CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT A man skims impurities from a
simmering kettle of cane juice; cooled cane syrup is poured into
a jar for storage; sugarcane typically grows to a towering 10 feet
before harvest time.