Good morning, I would like to share our series sharing Food Holidays: December 17th, 2021. Take a look at today’s Holiday and let me know if you would like to celebrate it or not. Charlie and I might make a dessert in our Homeschool Cooking Class using Maple Syrup if we can find something that sounds good. Would you like to join us?
National Maple Syrup Day
Maple Syrup is a delicious condiment that is just as versatile as it is tasty. People enjoy Maple Syrup drizzled over everything: from Pancakes, to eggs, to Barbecue. Maple Syrup is a sugary substance that has more potential than some give it credit for.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL MAPLE SYRUP DAY
The origins of the production of Maple Syrup can be traced back thousands of years to the Northeastern region of the United States. There, it was first gleaned from the Maple Tree population by Indigenous peoples. While it is uncertain as to how and why exactly the extraction process first began, it is inarguable that Maple Sap became a key ingredient in a variety of dishes.
The arrival of European Colonists would allow for the introduction of Maple Syrup to the Old World, and their love for the taste of the arboreal byproduct was matched by their appreciation for its utility. Maple Syrup was a popular substitute for Cane Sugar, as this had to be imported from the West Indies region, and its ability to exist in both liquid and crystallized form making it an ideal source for concentrated Sugar. The colonists’ extraction methods differed from those of the Indigenous peoples, and they would serve as the foundation for several subsequent iterations upon the process. Some Maple Trees may have even seen dozens of changes to the extraction procedures used upon them, as they can continue to be tapped for Sap for more than 100 years!
Today, the consumption of Maple Syrup is no longer reserved for chieftains or =celebratory events. Maple Syrup is not only used across the world, but production chains have even sprung up in Countries like Japan and South Korea. Canada now produces the vast majority of the world’s Maple Syrup supply with its total exports valued at more than $270 million. It may have happened at the rate of Molasses, but Maple Syrup is now known (and loved) far beyond the pocket of the Northeast.
NATIONAL MAPLE SYRUP DAY TRADITIONS
Did you know you can drink Maple Syrup!
While you might use Maple Syrup throughout the year in and over your foods, make it a tradition to mix it up by mixing Maple Syrup into Teas, Coffees, or mugs of Hot Chocolate! You can even try out different grades with different drinks to mix your drinks up.
Make a Maple Pilgrimage
While not everyone may have the privilege to do this, it is serendipitous than National Maple Syrup Day falls very close to the Christmas Holidays. If it’s within your means, and you’re a Maple Syrup lover, consider making it a tradition to visit Vermont or Quebec to really show your Syrupy passion!
NATIONAL MAPLE SYRUP DAY STATS
40 gallons of Sap
Did you know it takes 40 gallons of Maple Sap are required to produce just one gallon of Maple Syrup! If you think that conversion rate is crazy, consider that Maple Syrup production is arguably the most efficient today than it’s ever been.
Canada exports 70%
According to the New York Times, Canada is responsible for roughly 70% of the world’s total supply of Maple Syrup. Fitting for the Country that sports the tree’s Maple Leaf on its flag!
6 million pounds stolen
In 2012, 6 million pounds of Maple Syrup was stolen from the Syrup stockpile held by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers. While authorities managed to track down dozens of people responsible for the theft, about one-third of their take is still to be recovered.
NATIONAL MAPLE SYRUP DAY ACTIVITIES
- You can find plenty of Maple Syrup tapping and processing kits online! All you need to do is get out there, find a Maple Tree, and collect the Syrup.
- Head to the grocery store and pick up different kinds of Maple Syrup. Then take the Syrup home, and sample each over a Pancake to find out which of the many selections might be your favorite!
- For those of you lucky enough to live in a state that produces Maple Syrup from Native Trees, get out and support your local Maple Syrup producers by buying a nice big jug.
WHY EVERYONE LOVES NATIONAL MAPLE SYRUP DAY
- Maple Syrup pairs with more things than you can imagine. You’ve tried Maple Syrup on your Pancakes, or Waff but have you ever added Maple Syrup your Bacon? Don’t just limit yourself to breakfast, though. Maple Syrup makes an awesome glaze for all sorts of Root Vegetables.
- Maple Syrup is a food worth stealing. With barrels of Maple Syrup valued at over a thousand dollars each, it’s easy to see why a truckload might be worth a boatload of cash.
- While you might be wise to brush your teeth after having Maple Pancakes, it’s hard not to love something that’s mostly Sugar!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
