On Jan. 15, 1919, a tank that contained more than 2 million gallons of molasses ruptured, killing 21 people and injuring more than 100 others. It destroyed buildings, killed animals and coated everything in the vicinity of the tank with a suffocating and hard-to-remove layer of the sticky substance.

As the locals say, you can still smell the scent of molasses on a hot summer day. You might be familiar with the Boston Tea Party, but for many Bostonians, there’s another food-centric event that comes to mind as they reflect on local history: the Great Molasses Flood.