Maple syrup doesn’t come out of a maple tree all ready to go on your pancakes. The process is long, takes a lot of time and mostly a lot of love. Originally, it’s maple water that comes out of the tree and it is only when it is transformed that it becomes the syrup that we all know and love. In the winter, when the cold nights alternate with the warmer days, we can notice the maple water slowly pouring out of the trees and into tubes. These tubes are the ones that are going to take the soon to be syrup into a large canister. It’s in those barrels that the magic happens: the golden liquid boils until it turns into the nicest maple syrup.
Although, don’t be mistaken, the transformation doesn’t lessen the quality of taste and nutriment of the product. Most of maple producers try to keep the authenticity of the substance without adding any artificial flavors or any other types of sugar. That is what we call : 100% pure maple syrup. That means that this maple syrup is made with everything that was given by mother Nature. The maple water is indeed a pure substance and the syrup might be too if the producers stay true to the original flavors and components. For my colleagues, experts in maple syrup, it is really important to give to everyone a pure syrup that aligns with our beliefs, but that also makes our heritage proud. That is why in every sip of that syrup, you can taste a product that has integrity and that shows our proudness of our Canadian roots. We go out of our way trying to always offer you maple that is close to what nature has to offer. However, there are some producers that might add other ingredients to the mix, and in that case, the maple syrup is not a pure substance anymore.
A pure substance is considered to be so, if there is no additional components that modify the originals. Maple water is certainly a pure substance. Therefore, the purity of the substance remains in the way that the maple syrup is transformed. Maple water boiled into maple syrup without additives is a pure substance. That way, you can eat closer to nature and to what is best for you. It is not a secret, refined sugar and added sugar are not good for your body. Maple syrup is also sugar, hence you need to consume it intelligently, but it is more natural.
Many persons consume corn syrup as a substitute for maple syrup, especially on their pancakes. Corn syrup can’t be considered to be a pure substance because the process of transformation is really complex and a number of ingredients are added to the original ingredient: corn. For instance, enzymes are added to create that chemical transformation. Without this additional element, corn syrup wouldn’t even exist. Often, people substitute maple syrup for corn syrup because they think that the two are exchangeable. The truth is that maple syrup is healthier for you in so many ways, because the substance is pure and true. It is correct that both of these products are basically sugar, but one is full of chemicals, when the other is more natural, if you consume it, choose wisely.
Our advice is to be careful and to inform yourself on the process used by your maple producer. You can ask them, they know their products like no one else and they can explain the process to you with more details. Also, more often than not, it is written on the maple can or bottle, if it is 100% pure. We can’t talk for other countries, but in Canada, it is Acer Division Inspection Inc, an independent organization, that ensures the quality of the product and decides whether or not it can be sold. Therefore, there is no bias, what you see on the bottle is what you get.
More than that, as well as being a pure substance, maple syrup is a big part of the Canadian essence. It represents the warmer days and the return of spring in all its color. The snow that is slowly melting and creating pathways to the “cabane à sucre”. The “cabane à sucre” or ‘’sugar shack’’ has an important place in the Canadian heritage. It’s almost a religious site, as we respect the tradition that goes back in the days, something that brings us close to our ancestors. This shack is a place of laughters where we share with family, where kids are having sugar rushes and where we can be happy to be reunited with our loved ones for the perpetuity tradition. It’s a place where we learn how to cook with maple. Did you know that you could put it on sausages, on crepes, make pudding with it or even mix it with beans!? The possibilities are endless. Most of all, this tradition grows with us, from kid to adult, we still enjoy the sugar rush when we go to this place and the simplest pancakes on a Sunday morning bring us back to those fond memories. In every maple syrup bottle, we try to give you a little bit of that heritage.
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References:
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