Clearspring malt syrups have a rich, mellow taste, and a milder sweetness than that of sugar, honey or maple syrup. As a result they are less likely to overpower the taste of other foods and can be used to sweeten hot drinks and baked foods, as well as to top breads, cakes, pancakes and desserts. The traditional malting method consists of sprouting organic barley to release a wide range of naturally occurring digestive enzymes to breakdown the starches and also the proteins and fats of the cereal grain they are mixed with. The starches of the grain breaking down into sweeter tasting natural sugars create a deliciously flavoured syrup extract with a balance of maltose and other sugars. By contrast, most cereal syrups nowadays are made using laboratory produced enzymes that quickly and cheaply convert the starches of the grain into simpler sugars. The range of enzymes involved is limited, their activity is precisely targeted at the starch, and the resulting syrup has a light and quite sweet taste. Whilst yields from traditional malting may be lower than those from the laboratory enzyme process, the wider range of enzyme activity involved with malting creates a fuller flavour and can offer better digestibility. It's like choosing a loaf of bread that has been slowly made with natural sourdough in preference to one quickly made using commercial yeast.