Maple syrup

Maple syrup
Bottled maple syrup
Place of originCanada
United States
Main ingredientsXylem sap (usually from sugar maple, red maple, or black maple)

Maple syrup is a syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Maple trees are tapped by drilling holes into their trunks and collecting the sap, which is processed by heating to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup.

Maple syrup was first made by the Indigenous peoples of Northeastern North America. The practice was adopted by European settlers, who gradually changed production methods. Technological improvements in the 1970s further refined syrup processing. Almost all of the world's maple syrup is produced in Canada and the United States. The Canadian province of Quebec is the largest producer, responsible for 70 per cent of the world's output; Canadian exports of maple syrup in 2016 were C$487 million (about US$360 million), with Quebec accounting for some 90 per cent of this total.[1][2]

Maple syrup is graded based on its colour and taste. Sucrose is the most prevalent sugar in maple syrup. In Canada, syrups must be made exclusively from maple sap to qualify as maple syrup and must also be at least 66 per cent sugar.[3] In the United States, a syrup must be made almost entirely from maple sap to be labelled as "maple", though states such as Vermont and New York have more restrictive definitions.

Maple syrup is often used as a condiment for pancakes, waffles, French toast, oatmeal, or porridge. It is also used as an ingredient in baking and as a sweetener or flavouring agent. Culinary experts have praised its unique flavour, although the chemistry responsible is not fully understood.[4]

  1. ^ Marowits, Ross (20 February 2017). "Quebec increases maple syrup production amid internal revolt, foreign competition". CBC. Archived from the original on 18 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  2. ^ Robin Levinson-King and Jessica Murphy (9 April 2017). "Quebec's maple syrup producers seeking global domination". BBC News. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Chapter 13 – Labelling of Maple Products". Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  4. ^ Amy Christine Brown (June 2010). Understanding Food: Principles and Preparation. Cengage Learning. p. 441. ISBN 978-0-538-73498-1.