Maple syrup is one of Canada’s most iconic sweet treats, loved for its unique flavour and natural origin. However,...
The discovery of maple syrup by the Amerindians: origins and legends
The maple leaf is not only the most important symbolic representation of Canada. Its tree is also the supplier of one of the most precious and elaborate in the Canadian culinary tradition: Maple syrup.
Canada in brief
The past and present of European culture have settled in America to create a unique and unparalleled nation. An ordinary citizen might even imagine that there is no life beyond the United States. Self-proclaimed Americans are everywhere and we consume them daily through movies, music, sports, politics, economics, and food.
In fact, so many people are used to Yankee life that getting to know Canada seems like an impossible task. So how is Canada viewed by other countries?
First of all, it is a society where economic and technological development converges with the quality of life and the stability of its inhabitants. Progressive, liberal, bilingual, plural, multicultural, this is how the “land of the maple leaf” is perceived by the West.
However, Canada is also a bucolic region, but not devoid of interest. It is surrounded by freshwater lakes, more than any other country in the world. In addition, it has at least eight distinct forest regions, coniferous mountains and vast grasslands constituting immense geographic and ecological variety. Frankly, Canada is admired and envied even by its powerful neighbors to the south.
Beyond all this, the true representation of the past and present of the the economic and cultural diversity of this territory is the maple syrup.
Legendary origins of maple syrup
The origins of the practice of making maple syrup from sap are steeped in legend. It was the Amerindians who began this practice long before the arrival of Europeans in North America. However, no one knows which tribe discovered it first. There are several legends about its discovery.
One of them relates that Prince Glooskap found that his people lazily drank maple syrup straight from the trees instead of working. To punish them, he added water to the syrup and made sure that the sap was only available in the spring. Now people should be boiling the sap instead of being lazy.
Likewise, another story puts Kokomis, the son of Mother Earth, in the role of Prince Glooskap. A third story, from the Chippewa and Ottawa tribes of Michigan, states that the god Nanaboozhoo cast the spell.
Another legend speaks of a woman named Moqua. She says she used to cook moose for her husband Woksis. When her pot ran out of water, she filled it with maple sap. The boiled sap formed syrup in the pot.
However, there is another legend about a chief who threw his tomahawk into a tree. The tree then began to lose sap. Then, it gave his wife the idea to cook meat in the sap. The end result was a delicious syrupy meal. It is said that this chief was the first to use the word Sinzibuckwud which means "trees". Native Americans often used this word to refer to maple syrup.
Photo source: jeunesse.erableduquebec.ca
History of the making of maple syrup
In this last part, we will walk through the history of making maple syrup.
At the time of colonization
When European settlers settled in the area, they learned how to cut maple trees from indigenous peoples. However, instead of using a wedge to extract the sap, they drilled holes in the trees with augers. They then insert wooden spouts into the holes and hang buckets in them to collect the sap. Also, settlers made these buckets by hollowing out tree segments to create a seamless container.
Then, cattle were used to transport large containers filled with sap to a central point. Then, it was boiled to produce sugar and syrup. On the other hand, maple sugar was much more popular at this time.
During the 1800s and beyond
The 1800s saw many innovations in sap boiling. Around 1850, large flat metal pans appeared. The increased surface area was found to be much more efficient than the iron kettles used before. In the late 1800s, a two-pan evaporator appeared, which further reduced the process time. Then, around 1900, the tin at the bottom of the pot was transformed into flues which increased the surface even more.
Due to the increased availability of cane sugar in the 1800s, producers moved away from maple sugar in favor of syrup. Other technological innovations have made it easier for them to produce larger quantities of syrup. Likewise, tractors began to replace the cattle used to transport large quantities of sap from the trees to the sugar shack.
In addition, there were also more fuel options available for heating. In addition to wood, petroleum, natural gas, propane and steam were also available. Finally, the filtration has also been improved for a purer end product.
The modern era
Since the 1970s, technological advancements have given producers even more options to streamline their process. For example, the newly available vacuum pumps circulated sap through the now popular plastic tube systems that ran from trees to candies.
In addition, producers began to use reverse osmosis machines to remove water from the sap before boiling it. Storage containers have gotten bigger and more efficient. Finally, they created preheaters to reduce heat loss.
Today, producers have many options. Depending on the method they use, they are able to dramatically increase production and efficiency, thereby reducing costs for customers.
However, at its most basic level, the process has not changed much from the original method used by the early Native Americans.
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