Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Spendy Syrup


As a California transplant here in Canada, few things wield intimidation like maple syrup. Laugh away but, If you are an oenophile (I like to identify as a wine nerd) so comparing maple syrup to french vino: nothing is as expensive (drop for drop than Bordeaux.) Pitch perfect analogy.

Why is this? I am also a foodie, a foodie who found the recent movie about Julia Child as emotionally satisfying as sitting down to an entire tub of ben & jerry cherry Garcia but I digress. The foodie mecca here in T.O. is the St. Lawerence Market.

The weekend farmer market at our noteworthy market the pilgrimage we all seek. Guss it could be worse since this is completely legal with no nasty hangover. The earlier you shop, the more educated and serious the food shopper. An inverse relationship exists in this regard. Later than 8:30, you are automatically tagged a tourist.
Back to my theme this weeek. Maple syrup- Pure maple syrup is graded according to Federal USDA regulations, and is based on both color and flavor. The grades are: US Grade A Light Amber, US Grade A Medium Amber, US Grade A Dark Amber, and US Grade B. Some states use a slightly different terminology, as does Canada, but the legal requirements for each grade are the same, regardless of what they are called. For example: Grade A Light Amber syrup is sometimes called Fancy Grade, and here in Canada it is called No. 1 Extra Light.

Well thank goodness it's not just for breakfast anymore. Baked pairs, braised beef, caramelized root veggies- sorry to geek out but these are all dee-licious with a dash of Canada's maple syrup.

So we'll choose to drink the Chilean reds so we can pop for the dark amber syrup.

All maple syrup grades are better than the artificial stuff. Otherwise it's strictly a matter of personal choice. Ask yourself : Which is better, white wine or red wine? Which is better, light beer or dark beer? Beer can probably be compared most easily to the different maple syrup grades/flavors. A light pilsner beer has a light color and delicate flavor, while a Stout or Porter has a very dark color and strong flavor. It's strictly a matter of personal choice, and there isn't one grade of maple syrup that is "better" than another. Thx for hangin'for the foodie geek out session. Now go sing the praises of the syrup-