Beantown

Me on the Harvard Bridge

I survived the long drive to Massachusetts! Boston is absolutely beautiful this time of year; there is a warm breeze that drifts across the Charles River Basin and the trees have begun to bloom with gorgeous little blossoms. My mate and I walked along The Freedom Trail, where we learned a bit about American history and wandered freely just seeing the sites. One of the things that really stood out for me, was that everywhere I turned, things were considered to be "the best in Beantown". What a curious name... Today's question is: why is Boston called Beantown?

A:

I suppose the answer should have been obvious; Boston is known as Beantown because of its baked beans. Boston was a part of the triangular trade, where sugar cane was shipped from the Caribbean to Boston to be made into rum, which was then exported to Western Africa in return for slaves who were sent to the West Indies to grow more sugar cane. As molasses - being a by product of refining sugar cane - was in such abundance, Bostonians produced baked beans that were slowly cooked in molasses. Apparently, Boston baked beans are somewhat of a rarity now; there are no companies in the city that produce them and very few restaurants serve them.

Source:

Boston Online