Why the Cheapest Maple Syrup Tastes Best
6th November 2011
The market for maple syrup offers an odd inversion. The thin, pale fluid labeled Fancy or Grade A Light Amber commands the highest prices. It is the white bread of condiments, an inoffensive accompaniment to more flavorful fare. The robust, thick syrup marked Grade B fairly bursts with maple flavor, but sells at a significant discount. So why does the nominally inferior grade offer decidedly superior flavor? The answer lies in the history of maple syrup, a product that has long served as a symbol of American authenticity. As our sense of American identity has evolved, our syrup labels have not always kept pace.
I recall someone telling me once upon a time that the stuff from New Hampshire is better than the stuff from Vermont, but all I’ve ever seen in the stores is Vermont syrup, so there it is.
November 7th, 2011 at 11:57
A friend of mine and his wife decided to drive around central NY and buy “real” maple syrup. They are also notorious bargain hunters, so they spend a day traveling around trying to find farmers selling their own syrup and hopefully far enough off the beaten path that the price would be cheap. Someone suggested they go to a certain farm because that guy was selling the cheapest stuff, so off they went. After making sure that it was “real” and not cut with corn syrup or sugar, they were happy to find that the price was significantly lower than any other place they had looked. After buying a gallon or two, my friend asked the farmer why his was cheaper, “Oh, those other guys use wood or oil to cook theirs down. I’ve got a cheaper fuel; I burn old tires.”
So they drove home and the next morning cooked up a big batch of pancakes. The syrup looked great – nice and dark, and tasted very much like sweet, burning tires. Cheap or not, neither of them was able to choke the stuff down.