Maple me this?

One thing I've noticed living in Québec is the amount of maple syrup.


Sure, Canada is a country of maple: maple syrup, maple trees, maple leaves, maple cookies, maple candies, maple you name it. But in the west, probably because we don't produce maple syrup out there, I haven't noticed the same levels of saturation. Well, and maybe I'd forgotten just how much maple syrup there is here after two years in Japan.*

And that was before I went to a cabane à sucre, where each table gets its own litre of maple syrup to pour over plates of ham, tortière, baked beans and pancakes. And then you head outside to eat tire sur la neige -- maple syrup poured over snow and eaten like candy (Yum). It's all very good for you. Especially with a glass of caribou -- red wine or port mixed with some hard alcohol like brandy or vodka and a dash of, you guessed it, maple syrup.

Maple syrup is a standard condiment at breakfast tables, and those who know me, know I love breakfast. I don't quite have the same love of maple syrup as the rest of the breakfast eaters I see here. It seems to be standard practice for the waitress to ask if a diner wants maple syrup with their breakfast. I prefer my eggs with hot sauce, which is next to impossible to get here (the last time I asked, I got the bottle from the kitchen and some strange looks). I've even witnessed maple syrup in coffee, which I'll admit is tastier than hot sauce.**

So is this supersaturation particular to Québec, or is it an eastern Canadian thing?

Or is my theory correct: maple syrup gives French-Canadians special powers. What those powers are exactly I have yet to determine. Maybe it's something like being able to understand those really thick Québecois accents...

Next time:
Caramel spread on toast! Does that even exist anywhere else?











*That being said, I've been told that Japan is the third largest consumer of maple syrup and maple products -- right behind Canada and the US. Not surprising when you consider the gift-giving culture that flourishes there.

** Or HP sauce. Yes, I'm still going on about that.