What does blackstrap mean?
Blackstrap refers most commonly to the dark, viscous syrup obtained after sugarcane has been boiled down and its sugar crystallized three times. Because it comes from the final, most depleted stage of refining, blackstrap molasses is thicker, darker, and far more bitter than regular molasses, with a robust, slightly smoky flavor. It is valued in baking — gingerbread, baked beans, and brown bread are classic vehicles — and has enjoyed a following among health enthusiasts for its notable content of iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Historically, 'blackstrap' also named a drink popular with sailors and colonists, made by mixing rum, beer, or wine with molasses to produce a cheap, warming tipple. In everyday speech the word rarely stands alone; it nearly always appears as part of 'blackstrap molasses.' Its British counterpart, black treacle, is sweeter and milder, so recipes crossing the Atlantic sometimes call for adjustment. The word itself combines 'black' with 'strap,' evoking both color and thickness.
The dark, bitter syrup remaining after the third boiling of sugar cane during sugar refining; blackstrap molasses.
"The recipe calls for two tablespoons of blackstrap rather than light molasses."
Almost always encountered in the compound form 'blackstrap molasses' in contemporary usage.
A historical drink made by mixing rum, beer, or wine with molasses or sugar syrup.
"The sailors warmed themselves with a tankard of blackstrap below decks."
Chiefly historical; found mainly in accounts of 18th- and 19th-century naval and colonial life.
Rarely pluralized, since the word denotes an uncountable substance; when it does occur in the plural it typically refers to servings or varieties of the drink.
"The tavern keeper poured blackstraps for the whole crew."
Blackstrap is what's left after sugarcane has been boiled down three times — the syrup so spent that sailors once drank it mixed with rum to make it palatable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blackstrap
The word is a straightforward English compound of 'black' and 'strap,' first attested in the 18th century, with 'strap' tracing back through Middle English to Old French 'estroppe' and ultimately Germanic roots shared by words like 'strop' and 'strap.' It originally described the thick, dark ribbon of syrup drawn off in sugar refining — dense enough to suggest leather. The same compound was later applied to the sailor's rum-and-molasses drink, and separately to a leather strap used for flogging in the 19th century.
How blackstrap is actually used
In modern usage the word almost always appears as part of the compound 'blackstrap molasses,' prized in health-food circles for its iron, calcium, and other mineral content. The beverage sense is chiefly historical, associated with 18th–19th century sailors and colonial America. The word carries no negative connotation today, though its taste is distinctly less sweet than standard molasses.
Easily confused with blackstrap
Black treacle is the British blend of refinery syrups that is sweeter and milder than American blackstrap, which comes from the final, most exhausted boiling of the cane.