bout de papier, Vol. 28, No. 4 (2015) — Spring 2015 // Printemps 2015, pp. 36–37
Food is arguably one of the world’s most important and ubiquitous diplomatic tools. Many items we eat and drink have a storied past, political importance or trade significance. This column explores one food, drink or ingredient at a time.
MAPLE: I don’t believe I’ve ever met a single person who doesn’t like maple syrup. It’s simply one of the most likeable flavours out there, up there with vanilla and chocolate. I also don’t remember visiting a Canadian Embassy or Consulate where there wasn’t at least a few bottles of maple syrup kicking around as a Canadian-branded gift at-the-ready.
Canada loves the maple tree; so much so, the familiar maple leaf graces our national flag (particularly interesting given that sugar maples generally don’t grow west of Ontario). We have five species of maple, but only sugar and black maples are considered ideal for producing syrup. There’s a good reason maple syrup is considered a “Canadian” product: we produce 80 per cent of the world’s maple syrup according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s website. Ten million gallons with a value of over $400m were produced in 2013, most of which comes from the great province of Québec. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario also produce it, but don’t even come close to approaching La Belle Province.
When we ship it out of the country, the U.S. gobbles up 65 per cent of Canadian maple products. Now stop reading for a minute and try to guess the next two biggest importers. You’re never going to get it, but it’ll make for some fun cocktail party trivia. Japan (9 per cent) and Germany (8 per cent). Who knew?
The price of syrup is set annually in advance of the sugaring season, meaning the price doesn’t reflect that year’s production. Sounds risky, yes? They buffer that risk in Québec with the now-famous maple syrup reserve in Laurierville, with smaller reserves stashed elsewhere (just in case). I, for one, am comforted to know that my supply is secure with 4.5m gallons sitting in the Global Strategic Reserve. And now it’s even more secure. You may remember 2012’s Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist: six million pounds of maple syrup worth $18m stolen from a warehouse; the thieves replaced it with water to escape notice until a guard reported seeing water near one of the barrels during an inventory check. In an event that both elicited mirth and horrified readers around the world, police took this uniquely Canadian crime very seriously, arresting 26 people. Only a quarter of the syrup has been recovered according to an October 2014 Global News article.
There is a surprising amount of provincial/state and federal regulation involved in the syrup industry in Canada and the United States. Colour, flavour, marketing and even density requirements all ensure that the product that is sold to consumers maintains a high standard. Have you ever wondered about the names on the syrup can: Light, Medium, Amber, Dark? They can actually vary according to the province or state, but the terms are always based on the amount of light you can shine through the product. My Canadian syrup preference for both baking and eating is either Amber or Dark, since the maple flavour is more pronounced than the other grades. My Vermont maple syrup preference is now “Amber Color/Robust Taste” since they changed the grading names in 2013. As of January 2015, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has announced that Canadian producers have two years to follow suit, in an effort to bring consistency to North American consumers.
As someone who has road-tripped to Vermont exclusively to buy from multiple producers, and usually has more maple syrup in the cupboard and fridge than any other foodstuff, my favourite uses are French toast, waffles and pancakes. If you would like to get a little fancier, try making maple butter on the stove, stirring equal quantities of maple syrup and butter over low to medium heat until you get a warm, delicious mixture that looks a lot like toffee sauce; great over the aforementioned breakfast items, as well as ice cream. Syrup also does very well in baked goods like cookies or cake, but the quantities required to ensure a sufficiently pronounced flavour gets expensive quickly; read the recipe carefully before you commit. That being said, I rarely miss a golden opportunity for a sweet escape.
Lisa Bitto has been a political stream Foreign Service Officer for nearly nine years, and an avid baker, cook and food geek since her mother first refused to bake her cookies and she took matters into her own hands. She usually chooses her vacation destinations based on the food.
My Favourite Butter Tarts
My Favourite Butter Tarts
A little non-traditional, but really, really good.
Thinly roll out homemade or store-bought dough
for a single pie crust. Cut into 12 circles using
an upside down mug as a guide. Place rounds
into a muffin tin. Drop a large pinch of flaked
unsweetened coconut into each shell.
In a large bowl, combine 1/3 cup butter, melted
and I cup brown sugar (I prefer dark rather than
golden, but you decide). Add 2 tbsp milk, I large
beaten egg, I tbsp maple syrup and I tsp vanilla
extract. Mix well until smooth and well-combined.
Pour equal amounts of the filling into the tart
shells. Bake at 375°F for about 20 minutes.
Cool. Devour.
Recipe adapted from the very wonderful cookbook
The Happy Baker by Erin Bolger.
Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 28, No. 4 (2015) — Spring 2015 // Printemps 2015, pp. 36–37. Read the rest of this issue →
