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Treacle origins uses recipes
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In
practice however, there is a technical difference between
“treacle” and “Molasses” in that molasses is obtained from the
drainings of raw sugar during the refining process and treacle is made from the
syrup obtained from the sugar. In
an effort to simplify matters, rather than start with the history of treacle, as
with most of the Ingredient of the Month features, we are going to start with
how the various treacles are obtained. The various types of treacle and Molasses
are, in culinary terms, completely substitutable. Only the type of
treacle/molasses used is of any importance when cooking.
Production/Processing
Light
Treacle
better known as Golden Syrup (equivalent = Light Molasses), is made from the
syrup obtained during the first boiling of the sugar cane/beets. About 65%
sucrose, it is the lightest in colour and the sweetest of all the treacles and
is usually unsulphered. Black Treacle, (equivalent = dark molasses) is made from the syrup obtained from later boilings and is about 55% sucrose.
Origin and History
Treacle was originally the name of a medicinal mixture which was most likely used as an antidote against poisons, in particular venomous bites. The name is derived from Old French triacle, in turn from Latin theriaca meaning “antidote to poison”. This medicine originally had honey as its base, but at some point the honey was replaced with treacle.
Over time the pharmacological
meaning died out, and around the 17th century in Britain the word ‘treacle’
took on its present day meaning, and was used chiefly as a cheap form of
sweetener. Interestingly enough, name ‘molasses’ comes from the Portuguese
word melaço which is derived from the Latin mel, meaning honey. The
increase in free man power (i.e. slavery) in the British colonies in the
mid/late 1600s enabled cane to be gathered and processed more economically and
by the late 1700s, refined sugar became affordable to the masses in Britain and
overtook treacle as a general sweetener. By the mid 1800s
treacle was used more as an ingredient in recipes, giving certain added
qualities (colour, taste, moisture etc) to dishes.
Treacle in Cooking
General
Golden
Syrup has a clear golden colour
and a sweet, rich, distinctive buttery flavour. It can be used just as it is,
spread on bread or poured ice cream or pancakes, but in Britain has always been
widely used baked goods and desserts, in particular the famous treacle tart,
flapjacks and treacle pudding. It can also be used in many savoury recipes
calling for sweetness, in particular sauces and glazes.
It can be used as a substitute for corn syrup in most recipes. Black
Treacle
has a slightly burnt caramel flavour that is a bit stronger than that of medium molasses. As the name would suggest, it is black (to all intents and purposes).
It is most often used in confectionery such as toffee and baked goods such as
breads, cakes and biscuits where it lends colour and flavour, but can also be
used in savoury recipes such as glazes, sauces and stews or casseroles. It can
be used as a substitute in most recipes calling for dark molasses.
Click here for lots of Treacle recipes
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