Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple or black maple trees, although syrup can also be made from other maple species such as the Bigleaf Maple. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their stems and roots before the winter; the starch is then converted to sugar and rises in the sap in the spring. Maple trees can be tapped and the exuded sap collected and concentrated by heating to evaporate the water and form syrup. Quebec, Canada is the world’s largest producer.
Maple syrup was first collected and used by First Nations and Native Americans. The practice of maple syrup production was adopted by European settlers, who gradually improved production methods. Technological improvements in the 1970s further refined syrup processing. Maple syrup is most often eaten with waffles, pancakes, oatmeal (porridge), and French toast. It is also used as an ingredient in baking, or as a sweetener and flavouring agent. Sucrose is its most prevalent sugar.
The syrup is graded according to the Canada, US or Vermont scales based on its density and translucency. Syrups must be at least 66 percent sugar to qualify as “maple syrup” in Canada; in the US, any syrup not made almost entirely from maple sap cannot be labelled as “maple”. Maple syrup and the sugar maple tree are symbols of Canada and several US states, particularly Vermont.