Barley malt syrup — also sold as malt extract or malt syrup — is a thick, dark-amber to near-black sweetener made by sprouting barley, mashing it to convert its starch into sugars, and boiling the sweet wort down to a glossy, slow-pouring syrup. Deeply malty, faintly bitter and only about half as sweet as sugar, it is the classic sweetener and crust-browning agent for bagels, bialys and dark rustic breads, and a staple of macrobiotic and natural-foods cooking.