Maple Syrup: That Sweet-Tasting Topping Made In Canada

For people who have never been to Canada, maple syrup is one of the first things that comes to mind when discussing the country. I have never been to Quebec, where most of it is produced. So, let’s learn about maple syrup together.

What Is Maple Syrup?

Maple syrup is a topping for Canadian breakfasts, such as pancakes, waffles, French toast, and hot cereals like oatmeal and porridge. It can also be used as a sweetener in baking.

A maple syrup farm is called a sugar bush. Why is most of Canada’s maple syrup produced in Quebec? There are two main factors to consider: the species of maple trees in the area and the most appropriate climate. Maple syrup is produced from maple trees, of which there are many different varieties across Canada, some making more sap than others. Also, the climate across Canada varies significantly. I remember walking to school in Regina, Saskatchewan, in the 60s when it was -40°C. On the south coast of beautiful British Colombia, it seldom goes below 0°C in the winter.

Quebec has the perfect combination of sugar maples, a freezing winter, and reasonably mild late winter and early spring.

The Origins of Maple Syrup

Indigenous peoples of northeastern North America produced maple syrup and maple sugar long before European settlers arrived. There are no written records of the time, but based on legends passed down through the ages, they held syrup-making celebrations. In some tribes, the first full moon of spring was called the Sugar Moon and celebrated with a Maple Dance.

Maple Syrup Production

The production of maple syrup has two distinctive parts. First, the farmers collect the sap from the trees, and then the sap has to be reduced through boiling and filtration.

Traditional Sap Collection

It all begins with the sap from maple trees. Due to the high sugar content in the sap, three species of maple trees are most commonly used for the production of maple syrup:

The sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
The black maple (Acer nigrum)
The red maple (Acer rubrum)

During the cold winter, starch accumulates in the roots and trunks of the trees, converting to sugar in the sap in late winter and early spring. Farmers drill holes in the trunks of the trees and insert spigots or taps into the holes. The sap then drips into attached buckets.

They only tap mature trees 30 to 40 years old. Sugar maples can live 200 to 300 years. Depending on the tree trunk’s diameter, the number of taps per tree can be from one to three. A single tree will produce up to 35 to 50 litres of sap per season, which is four to eight weeks through late winter and early spring, depending on the weather.

***Collecting Sap From the Maple Trees***

The Process

Sap is mostly water with only 1% to 6% sugar, so the workers must induce evaporation of the water by boiling the sap. It can take up to 40 litres of sap to make 1 litre of syrup. After the evaporation process, the resulting maple syrup is approximately two-thirds sugar. The workers must carefully monitor the concentration, as too much boiling will cause the syrup to crystallize, making it unusable. It then goes through a filtration process to filter out any solids or grit referred to as sugar sand. This process is all done in a building called the sugar shack.

How Maple Syrup Production Has Changed

Although some smaller sugar bushes still use buckets to collect sap from maple trees, it is a system of the past. In the maple forests of most sugar bushes, an intricate system of hollow vacuum tubes runs from each tree back to the sugar shack for processing. The tube system is much more efficient and avoids unnecessary traffic disrupting the forest floor as with the bucket method.

Changes have also occurred in the evaporation process. The workers remove much of the water before boiling by using pressure to force the sap through a membrane. However, they must still boil what remains to maintain control of the concentration.

Maple Syrup in Canadian Culture

Maple syrup is a significant commodity in Canada. Approximately 75 to 80% of the total maple products produced worldwide are produced in Canada, with the vast majority coming from Quebec. Therefore, maple products are valuable exports for the Canadian economy.

There are many maple syrup festivals in Canada celebrating the coming of spring. However, these are pretty much exclusive to eastern Canada, so living on the West Coast, I have never had the opportunity to attend one. At these festivals, many of which are held outside the sugar shacks, attendees can sample maple products and learn about the process of making syrup and other maple products.

Health Benefits of Maple Syrup

Is maple syrup good for you? Well, apparently so. It is full of antioxidants and nutrients, which offer many benefits:

Helps lower cholesterol
Helps fight inflammatory diseases
May protect against cancer
Aids with skin health
Aids in improved digestion compared to sugar
Supplies essential vitamins and minerals
Is a healthy alternative to artificial sweeteners
Has fewer calories than honey

The Grading System

A grading system strictly controls the production and sales of maple syrup. There are three classifications:

1) GradeA

Golden colour and delicate taste
Amber colour and rich taste
Dark colour and robust taste
Very dark colour and strong taste

2) Processing grade

3) Substandard

To be labelled as one of the A Grades, the syrup must not have an off-colour, must be uniform in colour, and must not contain any sediment. The golden and amber Grade A syrups are generally for table use, while the dark and very dark are used for cooking and baking.

If the syrup does not meet the standard of the A Grades, it must be labelled as processing grade and can not be sold in containers of less than 20 litres. It must be classified as substandard if it does not meet the processing grade standard, including a maple taste. Maple syrup does spoil. You should refrigerate syrup after opening it and discard it after about a year if unused.

Recipes

As mentioned above, maple syrup can be used in drinks, cooking, and baking as a substitute for sugar, honey, or other sweeteners. Many recipes are available online. Check out Maple From Canada for some delicious-sounding recipes.

The above essay is for entertainment and English language study only. For suggestions on how to use this post to improve your English reading and listening comprehension, click here.

Vocabulary

sugar bush – noun; N Amer, a grove of sugar maples; also the word for a maple syrup farm
species – noun; a class of things having some common characteristics; different types of maple trees (in this context)
appropriate – adjective; suitable or proper; the right choice for the situation
Indigenous – adjective; the aboriginal inhabitants of a region; the original people from a country or area
filtration – noun; filtered liquid; the process or filtering a liquid
accumulates – intransitive verb; form an increasing mass or quantity; to become more
spigots – pl noun; a small peg or plug, esp. for insertion into the vent of a cask; a plug to stop liquid from leaking out
induce – transitive verb; bring about; give rise to; make happen
crystallize – transitive or intransitive verb; form or cause to form crystals; to cause lumps in a smooth liquid
intricate – adjective; very complicated; perplexingly detailed; very detailed to suit the purpose
efficient – adjective; productive with minimum waste or effort; easier, faster, and cheaper (in this context)
membrane – a thin or pliable sheet or skin of various kinds; to force the water through (in this context)

Comprehension Questions

What is the basic taste of maple syrup?
(a) salty, (b) sour, (c) bitter, or (d) sweet
What is a maple syrup farm called?
(a) a sugar cube, (b) a sugar cookie, (c) a sugar bush, or (d) sugar pie, honey bunch
Where did some Indigenous tribes call the first full moon of spring?
Which country produces the majority of the world’s maple syrup?
(a) The United States, (b) Canada, (c) Mexico, or (d) Brazil
Which province in Canada produces the most maple syrup?
(a) British Columbia, (b) Alberta, (c) Ontario, or (d) Quebec
Have you ever been to a maple syrup festival?
Yes or No
According to this article, is maple syrup good for you?
Yes or No
Who makes the best-tasting maple syrup in the world?

Answers

Resources

Wikipedia – Maple Syrup
Cosman & Webb
Maple From Canada

And Now For Your Listening Enjoyment

Here is Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireball’s recording of “Sugar Shack”. It placed #1 on Billboard’s Hot for five weeks in 1963 and was Jimmy’s first million-selling song. I’m pretty sure the Sugar Shack they are referring to in this song has nothing to do with maple syrup, but the title fits the project.

Lyrics

"Sugar Shack"
Sung by Jimmy & the Fireballs (1963)
Written by Keith McCormack and Faye Voss

There's a crazy little shack beyond the tracks,
And everybody calls it the Sugar Shack,
Well it's just a coffee house and it's made out of wood
Espresso coffee tastes might good
Thats not the reason I've got to get back
to that sugar shack

There's this cute little girlie she's working there
Black leotards and her feet are bare
I'm gonna drink a lot of coffee
Spend a little cash
Make that girl love me when I put on some trash

You can understand why I gotta get back
To that Sugar Shack
Whoa baby to that Sugar Shack
Yeah honey to that Sugar Shack
Oh yes to that Sugar Shack

And now that Sugar Shack Queen is married to me
We just sit around and dream of those old memories
Ah but one of these days
I'm gonna lay down tracks
In the direction of that Sugar Shack
Just me and her yes we're gonna go back
To that Sugar Shack
To that Sugar Shack
Yeah honey to that Sugar Shack
Yeah yeah to that Sugar Shack