When talking about maple syrup, for an European, what would be considered a good brand(s) representing the taste, ingredients, process etc. as it should be? We have various stuff here in Europe mostly 'made in Canada', no 2 are the same, some taste better and some... less so, and price is not always a good indication.
That's a tough question; I'm right in the middle of syrup country and the syrup snobs will all buy direct from the farm.
When buying retail we have the same problem you do; the grocery stores typically only have one brand or two, and there isn't much correlation between the brand and the product.
There are different grades of maple syrup... golden, amber, dark and very dark. The darker, the stronger the flavor. For me, the classic is the snow scene can.
I would trust any bottle in the world if it has either "Quebec" or "Maine" provenance and "100% pure maple syrup" inscription.. it's only maple sap boiled for hours and hours but Acer Saccharum (sugar maple) is only indigenous to the North Eastern American continent.. (other maple-like trees produce sugary sap but not like the real deal).
One big one, which does not really help our friend in the EU, is buying from the farmer down the street.
Note that this may seem obvious, but at the same time, it may be not understood by all, so I spake it.
The amusing thing is, I think farmers sell the best stuff local, for the reasons you mention. After all, people have distinct choice locally, so it matters, and it is also where the farmer makes the most profit.
But also note that local retailers sell local too! And woe to the politican, which damages that process of buy local!
The left over does go into a big vat. And thus our EU friend feels diminished in value.
I am sorry, but at the same time, I will keep my local maple syrup.
(Also, amusingly, local stuff is often just canned in a plain can. Like the holy grail in that Indiana Jones movie, plain and simple = good stuff).
I'm a fan of this shop https://www.facebook.com/kiosquemontroyal/. Not sure what they do for international shipping as I usually go in-person since I live pretty close by, but feel free to contact them.
They offer different grades of maple syrup, from Light, to Medium (Amber) to Heavy and Very Heavy. I like the very heavy syrup, it's made later in the season and has way more flavour. Most people tend to prefer the Amber as it's the most common and they're more used to it. I recommend trying them all and seeing for yourself!
In terms of specific brands, it can be difficult as most syrup is produced on smaller, family-owned farms, and then relabelled by exporters.
As others have mentioned, Quebec's quality control tends to be pretty good, so looking for that branding and other wording to ensure that it's pure maple syrup should be sufficient to ensure a certain quality floor.
The sad reality is that getting good maple syrup outside of the areas that produce them is difficult.
I personally like the syrup produced by Madawaska Maple Products, a small-batch co-op in Ontario. But even finding those in retail _within_ ontario is a bit of a crap shoot. Some speciality "hipster" stores carry it.
Indeed, maple syrup is like wine. No two years are exactly the same, some taste better and of course price is not always a good indication.
Exactly like wine…
The highest quality of maple syrup you can get is the ‘extra-light’ type, very pale and liquid… It is quite rare because it can usually only be obtained in the first few weeks of the season, directly from the producers.
The darker syrups are more tasteful and heavy, but considered lesser quality. They are much easier to procure, year long, in supermarkets.
Whether you want a dark or a light syrup is basically a matter of taste, of course.
Ah… one more thing: never, ever buy bottled maple syrup. Light affects the product. You should always buy it canned. Normally you should have identification of the producing farm on the can. Like wine…
I'm going to suggest that the options for syrup in the EU are very different from in Quebec. Anything they buy there is likely to be a blend. Agreed that they should avoid anything in a clear bottle though.
> highest quality of maple syrup you can get is the ‘extra-light’ type
Unless you are trying to replace sugar and want to minimize flavor, the lightest syrup isn’t really the “highest quality”. The recent move away from letter grading reflects this.
There is a larger difference between light, medium, and dark syrup than there will be between two Québécois syrups (especially two that you are getting in Europe, since you will be buying blends), the light is generally considered more premium, but some people prefer the dark, so that might be what you are tasting.
I live in Vermont which has many maple syrup producers ranging from large scale operations that buy sap from multiple farms to small producers that make just enough for themselves, friends and family. I usually get mine by spending a couple weekends helping my cousins out during sugaring season and getting a few gallons in return.
I prefer the darker varieties. They are thicker, don't run around as much on pancakes or ice cream, have a richer and more complex taste and are cheaper as well.
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[ 3.9 ms ] story [ 78.5 ms ] threadWhen buying retail we have the same problem you do; the grocery stores typically only have one brand or two, and there isn't much correlation between the brand and the product.
You’ve reminded me of a section in Laura Ingalls Winder’s ‘Little House in the Big Woods’, chapters 7 and 8 with the sugar snow.
They make maple syrup and it’s a bumper year as their is a cold snap after an initial thaw.
The description of the process, the celebration and the eating it neat.
https://www.gutenberg.ca/ebooks/wildersewell-woods/wildersew...
FIGHT ME BRO!
In Quebec, all producers are required to sell to the "cartel"
http://www.davidmckie.com/legal-battle-boils-in-quebec-over-...
Once the cartel has your product, they blend it together in large containers and package this up for sale.
So whatever "brand" is on the container, the product has probably been blended with many producers product.
One big one, which does not really help our friend in the EU, is buying from the farmer down the street.
Note that this may seem obvious, but at the same time, it may be not understood by all, so I spake it.
The amusing thing is, I think farmers sell the best stuff local, for the reasons you mention. After all, people have distinct choice locally, so it matters, and it is also where the farmer makes the most profit.
But also note that local retailers sell local too! And woe to the politican, which damages that process of buy local!
The left over does go into a big vat. And thus our EU friend feels diminished in value.
I am sorry, but at the same time, I will keep my local maple syrup.
(Also, amusingly, local stuff is often just canned in a plain can. Like the holy grail in that Indiana Jones movie, plain and simple = good stuff).
They offer different grades of maple syrup, from Light, to Medium (Amber) to Heavy and Very Heavy. I like the very heavy syrup, it's made later in the season and has way more flavour. Most people tend to prefer the Amber as it's the most common and they're more used to it. I recommend trying them all and seeing for yourself!
In terms of specific brands, it can be difficult as most syrup is produced on smaller, family-owned farms, and then relabelled by exporters.
There are some award winning syrups which could be worth trying if you really want to aim for consistency, something like Saint-Paulin https://souvenirdefamille.com/en/products/sirop-derable-2021... or Escuminac https://escuminac.com/ (I don't know why but their site is broken for me and keeps reloading.)
I'm not sure I can tell the difference, but I like to think I can.
Just kidding ;-)
The sad reality is that getting good maple syrup outside of the areas that produce them is difficult.
I personally like the syrup produced by Madawaska Maple Products, a small-batch co-op in Ontario. But even finding those in retail _within_ ontario is a bit of a crap shoot. Some speciality "hipster" stores carry it.
Indeed, maple syrup is like wine. No two years are exactly the same, some taste better and of course price is not always a good indication.
Exactly like wine…
The highest quality of maple syrup you can get is the ‘extra-light’ type, very pale and liquid… It is quite rare because it can usually only be obtained in the first few weeks of the season, directly from the producers.
The darker syrups are more tasteful and heavy, but considered lesser quality. They are much easier to procure, year long, in supermarkets.
Whether you want a dark or a light syrup is basically a matter of taste, of course.
Ah… one more thing: never, ever buy bottled maple syrup. Light affects the product. You should always buy it canned. Normally you should have identification of the producing farm on the can. Like wine…
Unless you are trying to replace sugar and want to minimize flavor, the lightest syrup isn’t really the “highest quality”. The recent move away from letter grading reflects this.
I prefer the darker varieties. They are thicker, don't run around as much on pancakes or ice cream, have a richer and more complex taste and are cheaper as well.