How do I choose top-shelf maple syrup?
I make a deluxe scratch breakfast every Sunday - pancakes, bacon, eggs, fruit, the works! - and I figure if I'm going to take so much trouble, I should use real syrup and give up the fake maple-flavored stuff. But I don't know where to start. What do I need to know when buying maple syrup? Does region matter? Is there a grading system? Better yet, is there a common brand that everyone should start with? I've never actually tasted the real thing...
Answers ( 1 )
Yes, that breakfast sounds like it deserves real maple syrup!
Grading / Flavors
The grades of maple syrup have somewhat recently changed. So you'll sometimes see both grading styles on a bottle. Basically, it's a measure of how strong the maple flavor is: Grade A (and its variants) were the lightest, and Grade B was the darkest.
The new system uses clearer names (https://vermontmaple.org/maple-syrup-grades). From lightest to darkest: Golden / Amber / Dark / Very Dark.
I'm a fan of Grade B / Very dark for my waffles. But, that's a personal preference. I'd recommend buying a the smallest bottle of each grade and trying each. Then you'll know which one you prefer.
How to Buy
IMHO, it's more important to buy the grade you want, then to stick to a brand. That said, if you're buying in a grocery store, make sure you read the labels to ensure what you're buying is actually 100% maple syrup.
Terms like "pancake syrup" can disquise corn syrup, cane syrup, or blends of the three.
I tend to buy mine from a local farmers when I can, so as to support Vermont agriculture. Here's a small producer I like that will ship: https://palmerlanemaple.mybigcommerce.com/
Regions
As a Vermonter, of course I'm going to tell you that Vermont syrup is the best! :-)
It's not like wine, where some types of maple trees grow better in certain regions.
Having lived all around the world, I'd rather have New York / Quebec / Maine syrup than corn syrup.