of minerals, give final molasses a harsh flavor
that makes it generally unfit for direct human
consumption, although it’s sometimes sold
blended with corn syrup. A small amount is
also used in tobacco curing.
Food Words: Molasses, Treacle
Molasses comes from the late Latin word
mellaceus, which meant “like honey.” The
English term treacle comes via the French
triacle from the Latin theriaca, meaning
antidotes against poison. Medieval
pharmacists used sugar syrups to
compound their drugs, and came to refer to
the syrups by a term for the remedies.
Today, treacle can mean both dark, strong
molasses or the lighter, more delicate
refiner’s syrups.
Kinds of Molasses First and second molasses
have been used in foods for many years, and
for a long time were the only form of sugar
available to slaves and the poor of the rural