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List of foods made from maple facts for kids

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Syrup grades large
U.S. maple syrup, Grade A varieties, left to right: Golden Colour and Delicate Taste, Amber Color and Rich Taste, Dark Color and Robust Taste, Very Dark Color and Strong Taste

Did you know that many yummy foods come from maple trees? People collect a special liquid called sap from these trees. This sap is then turned into sugar and syrup, which are used in lots of different dishes.

The sugar maple is a super important tree, especially in Canada! Along with the black maple, it's the main source of sap for making delicious maple syrup. While other maple trees can also give sap, the sugar maple and black maple are the best. Their sap has more sugar and makes clearer syrup.

Delicious Maple Foods

  • Maple syrup – To make maple syrup, people collect sap from sugar maple trees. They do this by putting a small tap into a hole drilled into the tree. The collected sap is then boiled. As the sap boils, the water turns into steam and goes away. What's left behind is the thick, sweet syrup! It takes about 40 liters (10.5 gallons) of sap to make just 1 liter (0.26 gallons) of pure syrup. This is why pure maple syrup can be a bit expensive. Maple syrup is often poured over pancakes, waffles, French toast, or oatmeal. It's also used in baking and to add sweetness or flavor to many foods.
  • Maple taffy – Also known as maple toffee, this is a sweet treat made by boiling maple sap for a bit longer than you would for syrup. But you don't boil it so long that it becomes maple butter or sugar. It's often made and eaten right at a sugar house or cabane à sucre (sugar shack) where maple syrup is produced.
  • Maple sugar – This sugar is also made from the sap of the sugar maple tree. It was a traditional sweetener in Canada and the northeastern United States. Maple sugar is what you get when maple sap is boiled for even longer than it takes to make syrup or taffy. Once almost all the water has boiled away, you are left with solid sugar. First Nations and Native American peoples preferred maple sugar because it was easy to carry and lasted a long time. They called it ziinzibaakwad. Today, you can still find "maple sugar candy" in candy shops. These are small blocks of maple sugar, often shaped like a maple leaf.
  • Maple butter – Also called maple cream or maple spread, this is a smooth treat. It's made by heating maple syrup to about 112 degrees Celsius (234 degrees Fahrenheit). Then, it's cooled to around 52 degrees Celsius (126 degrees Fahrenheit) and stirred until it becomes smooth and creamy. It's usually made from a light-colored syrup and has a light tan color. About 1 gallon of syrup can make around 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of maple cream.

Maple Beverages

  • Jaan Paan Liqueur – This is a sweet, paan-flavored alcoholic drink. It's made with a grain spirit, Canadian maple syrup, and a mix of herbs and spices.
  • Maple liqueur – These are different alcoholic drinks made from maple syrup, mostly found in the Northeast United States and Canada.
  • Maple beer – Some craft brewers make an ale by fermenting the sugar in maple syrup instead of other ingredients. This gives the beer a noticeable maple taste. Because maple syrup is more expensive than other sugar sources, this drink is considered a special treat.
  • Hot Toddy – This warm drink often contains whiskey, lemon, and maple syrup instead of honey.

Maple Baked Goods

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