Editing Maple syrup (section)

{{short description|Syrup made from the sap of maple trees}}
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{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Maple syrup
| image = Maple syrup.jpg
| caption = Bottled maple syrup
| alternate_name =
| place_of_origin = [[Canada]] <br /> [[United States]]
| creator =
| course = 
| served =
| main_ingredient = [[Xylem]] [[sap]] (usually from [[sugar maple]], [[red maple]], or [[black maple]])
| variations = 
| calories = 
| other =
}}

'''Maple syrup''' is a sweet [[syrup]] made from the [[sap]] of [[maple]] trees. In cold climates, these trees store [[starch]] in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to [[sugar]] that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Maple trees are tapped by drilling holes into their trunks and collecting the sap, which is processed by heating to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup.

Maple syrup was first made by the [[Indigenous peoples of North America|Indigenous peoples]] of Northeastern North America. The practice was adopted by European settlers, who gradually changed production methods. Technological improvements in the 1970s further refined syrup processing. Almost all of the world's maple syrup is produced in Canada and the United States.

Maple syrup is graded based on its colour and taste. [[Sucrose]] is the most prevalent sugar in maple syrup. In Canada, syrups must be made exclusively from maple sap to qualify as maple syrup and must also be at least 66 per cent sugar.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chapter 13 – Labelling of Maple Products |url=http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/guide/ch13e.shtml |publisher=[[Canadian Food Inspection Agency]] |accessdate=9 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201232833/http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/guide/ch13e.shtml |archivedate=1 December 2011 }}</ref> In the United States, a syrup must be made almost entirely from maple sap to be labelled as "maple", though states such as [[Vermont]] and [[New York (state)|New York]] have more restrictive definitions.

Maple syrup is often used as a condiment for [[pancake]]s, [[waffle]]s, [[French toast]], [[oatmeal]], or [[porridge]]. It is also used as an ingredient in baking and as a sweetener or flavouring agent.<ref name="Brown2010">{{cite book |author=Amy Christine Brown |title=Understanding Food: Principles and Preparation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ppMzyDFyHUwC&pg=PA441 |date=June 2010 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-0-538-73498-1 |page=441}}</ref>