Occasionally, we come across a holiday that covers a subject with which we aren’t all that familiar. Today, that holiday is National Molasses Bar Day, observed on the 8th of February each year. Before we came across this holiday, we had never heard of a molasses bar—although we now know that it’s a delicacy many people enjoy.

After doing a little bit of research and making our own molasses bars, we decided to go ahead and introduce them to the rest of the world through this holiday. Anyone and everyone who likes sweet treats is going to want to stick around for this one.

The History Of National Molasses Bar Day

Although we don’t know the history behind National Molasses Bar Day or even the history behind molasses bars, we do know the history of molasses quite well. Molasses is a viscous substance that results when sugar beets or sugarcane are refined into sugar.

It’s a product that is used to make commercial brown sugar nowadays and has traditionally been used to make everything from dark rye bread to rum. The English word “molasses” comes from the Portuguese word “melaco,” which is derived from the Latin word “mel,” meaning honey.

Molasses was first exported to the United States from the West Indies to make rum. It would be the most popular sweetener in the U.S. up until the 1880s because it was cheaper than refined sugar.

When World War II ended, the price of refined sugar dropped, and most Americans switched from molasses to refined white sugar. However, molasses is a product that is still used today for making rum products, making yeast, curing tobacco, making pumpernickel bread, and even as an additive to cattle feed.

Some Quick Facts About Molasses

Below are some quick facts about molasses that we feel everyone should take a look at. Most people know about this dark, sticky sugar by-product, but how many really know that much more about it? We’re betting that most people don’t know very much about molasses, and that’s why we’re listing the following quick facts.

• Molasses is separated from sugar crystals after each of the three different stages of the sugar boiling process.
• The final stage produces Blackstrap Molasses, a product that is used in cereals, marinades, cookies, desserts, and cattle feed.
• A 50-foot high storage tank of molasses burst on January 15th, 1919, sending 2 million gallons of molasses traveling through the streets at 30 miles per hour.

Observing National Molasses Bar Day

National Molasses Bar Day can be observed by making some molasses bars for friends and family members. Also known as Hermit Bars, these bars are made with molasses, raisins, and cinnamon. They are crispy, chewy, and sweet and have an extremely long shelf life. Recipes can be found online by searching for the hashtag #NationalMolassesBarDay.