Maple Syrup
Québec maple syrup is made from a single ingredient: the sap of maple trees.
The sap flows every spring when day/night temperatures alternate between thawing and freezing. This natural phenomenon is unique to eastern North America.
There are more than 150 species of maple in the world but only two provide the sap that can be produced into syrup. They are the sugar maple (Acer Saccharum) (87%) and the red maple (Acer rubrum) (13%).
The origins of maple syrup
Through the ages, the simple act of collecting and enjoying the sweetness of the sap from a particular tree in springtime has become a major Québec industry producing a “liquid gold” that is prized here and around the world.
To First Nations people we owe the discovery of maple sap, which they had been harvesting long before Europeans arrived in the New World. Some historians believe the natives of this land, at some point in the distant past, desperate to avoid starvation, started cutting bark off maple trees. The cambium, the edible part between the hardwood and bark, is thought to have been a survival food. This presumably led to collection of the thin sap that the cuts caused to flow from the trees, which could have been used to cook game, corn, beans, and so on.
Red and silver sugar maple trees hold a treasure within: their sap, also known as maple water. The freezing temperatures of the Québec winter are followed by the warmth of spring, causing the sap to flow in the trees. Today, it is harvested by producers and transformed into 100% pure maple products such as syrup, butter, and sugar. All are made of this single ingredient.
The Advantages of Québec Maple Syrup :
LOCAL AND SUSTAINABLE
A renewable resource that’s eco-friendly
RICH IN NUTRIENTS
Contains 100 essential nutritional compounds
100% PURE AND AUTHENTIC
Natural, with no GMOs or preservatives
Much More than Just a Sweetener
In addition to adding economic vitality to our regions, Québec maple syrup is good for the environment. It derives from 34 million maple trees on active production sites, which themselves provide numerous essential ecological goods and services.
When consumers choose maple products, they contribute to the sustainability of our maple forests and the ecological benefits that come with them. Furthermore, it leads to the increase of protected forest lands.
Buy local: It boosts our economy!
Learn more about the ways maple syrup can be used in the kitchen and at the table by going to Maple from Québec.