silly question

[bluesqueak]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Amanda Geist" <editor at t...> wrote:
> Alora asked:
> 
> > I know, I know, this is seriously off topic, but what is 
> > treacle?  Ihave read about it many times in other british books, 
> > and it's always been in the back of my mind.  What is it?  Being 
> > an American, it sounds really icky, if you ask me.
> 
> It *is* really icky. It is molasses (or something very close to 
> it). For some reason known only to the British, they call it by a 
> name that sounds as if it were a petroleum derivative, 

Well, frankly, black treacle *looks* very like crude oil, being sort 
of ... black. And thick. And very viscous. It has to be attacked with 
a spoon; and I do mean attacked. It has a strong bitter-sweet taste.

But 'treacle' is not just black treacle - it can be anything made 
with syrupy sugars. You get treacle tart (*very* sweet - think pecan 
pie minus pecans) which is made using a mixture of black treacle and 
golden syrup, or treacle pudding, which is made from just golden 
syrup (a more refined sugar syrup, golden in colour). 

And, of course, there's treacle toffee, a (very)chewy candy made from 
butter and black treacle only, traditionally eaten on bonfire night 
(November 5th). Treacle toffee gives hours of fun and amusement as we 
all watch Granny trying to get her teeth unstuck. It's also superb 
for stopping small children talking. For the entire evening.

'Treacle' is also used in British slang. If someone says 
they're 'drowning in treacle' they don't mean they're trapped in a 
vat of molasses. They mean somebody or something has got way too 
sentimental to cope with.


> which I 
> thought it was for most of the"All Creatures Great and Small" 
series (which is where I also learned that
> the Brits like to think of their cars in terms of clothing: bonnet, 
> boot, etc.). Don't feel bad, there's really no way you could have 
> figured this oneout (very similar to the whole clotted cream debate 
>which spawned  this list,which still sounds to me as if it were 
> something that's gone bad and must be thrown out, but which the 
>Brits amongst us assured me was actually  a treat to the senses).
> 

Oh yes! If you ever get to visit Britain, try our clotted cream. 
Traditionally it should be eaten on a scone (sweet biscuit type 
thing) with jam (jelly). And, for a truly British experience, should 
be taken with a pot of hot tea, at between three and four in the 
afternoon. 

There are rules to these things, y'know. [grin]

> --Amanda, not fond of molasses

Pip
(who spent several years being deeply puzzled at the phrase 'he fried 
some biscuits in the grease'[Starman Jones, R. A. Heinlein], as to 
her 'biscuits' equals 'cookies', and frying cookies wouldn't give 
very edible results)