Black treacle
Saccharum officinarum · Sweetener
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Black treacle is the dark, thick, bittersweet cane syrup that is essentially the British name for dark molasses — the near-black liquor drawn off when raw sugar is crystallised out of boiled cane juice. Intensely sweet but cut with a real bitterness and a smoky, mineral, faintly burnt edge, it is the defining flavour of British baking: treacle tart, sticky parkin and gingerbread, treacle toffee and dark fruitcakes. It is the dark, robust cousin of pale golden syrup, the two together making up the family of "treacle" sold in the familiar green-and-gold tin.
Picking a good onedrag
Sealed, glossy, near-blackFizzing, fuzzy, off
Open and in useEveryday bestWipe the rim and press the lid home after each pour. The working tin: gingerbread, sticky parkin, treacle sponge and dark fruitcake.
Read the tinDark or blackstrap molasses on an American label - the same refinery syrup under its other name
The pour and the stainCrawling out of a cold cupboard, stiff enough to hold its shape for a moment before it falls
Smell it off a clean spoonFlatter and quieter, the smoke faded to plain dark sweetness - an old tin, still sound
The lid and the rimOpen and in use - a sticky black trickle down the side, the thread wiped but tacky