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Molasses or treacle is a thick syrup by-product from the processing of the sugarcane or sugar beet into sugar. (In some parts of the U.S., "molasses" also refers to sorghum syrup.) The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which is in turn the Greek mellas — honey. The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or beet, the amount of sugar extracted, and the method of extraction.