What is cane syrup?
Miel de cana is sugarcane juice boiled until it thickens. Nothing else: the cane is pressed, the juice strained and reduced over a low heat until it becomes a dark, dense syrup with a mineral flavour, noticeably less sweet than honey and with a bitter finish. In north-western Argentina it is what goes with quesillo and goat cheeses; Brazil calls it melado de cana, and Spain, miel de cana. The closest thing on an English-language shelf is cane syrup — not molasses.
Cane syrup, melado and molasses are not the same thing
Cane syrup (melado) is the whole juice of the cane, concentrated. Nothing was taken out: everything the juice had is still there, with less water.
Molasses is what is left over after the sugar has been crystallised out of the juice. It is a refinery by-product: darker, more bitter and considerably less sweet.
That is why they do not swap cleanly: molasses leans bitter and covers everything else. If a recipe asks for cane syrup and you use molasses, the dish turns darker and harsher.
Why it works with cheese
The Salta classic — quesillo with cane syrup — is a play of salt against a bitter sweetness, not sweet against sweet. Honey, being sweeter and floral, flattens that contrast.
The same logic makes it work with goat cheeses, with walnuts and over plain cakes and breads.
Where to find it
In the US, the closest product is Southern cane syrup (Steens and similar), sold in most large supermarkets — same idea, whole cane juice reduced. In the UK, look for golden syrup as a distant cousin: lighter and sweeter, but closer than molasses.
Brazilian and Latin American grocers sell it as melado de cana, which is exactly the same thing.
⚠️ Read the label: if it says molasses, blackstrap or treacle, that is the by-product, and it will make the dish darker and more bitter.
The recipe
Frequently asked questions
- Can it be replaced with honey?
You can, but it changes the dish. Honey is sweeter and floral; cane syrup is darker, mineral and finishes bitter. In quesillo salteno that bitterness is half the point.
- Is it the same as molasses?
No. Cane syrup is concentrated cane juice; molasses is the residue left after the crystallised sugar has been removed. Molasses is more bitter and less sweet.
- How is it stored?
At room temperature, tightly closed, it keeps for a very long time: the sugar concentration protects it on its own. If it thickens too much or crystallises, a while in a water bath loosens it.
Updated on 2026-08-12