Molasses

Molasses is a viscous by-product of the beating of sugarcane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugarcane or sugar beet, the amount of sugar extracted, and the method of extraction. Sweet sorghum is known in some parts of the United States as molasses, though it is not considered true molasses. In Nepal it is called chaku (Nepal Bhasa: चाकु) and is used in the preparation of various Newari condiments like the yomari. It is also a popular ingredient in 'ghya-chaku'.