Molasses the “Roughest of Food”
Processing sugarcane, Courtesy of the New York Public Library
Slave owners in the antebellum South distributed niggardly allotments of molasses with other rations such as corn meal, rice, sweet potatoes, salt pork, and fish. Molasses, like corn bread, was considered by most as among the “roughest of food” regulated to the people living on the margins of society (such as slaves). Below is a recipe for a molasses marinade that works equally well for grilling with chicken, tofu, or vegetables
Molasses Marinade
Ingredients
½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup molasses
1 tablespoon olive oil
1teaspoon ground ginger
Method
Mix all ingredients together and marinade your desired food over night before grilling.
