Maple

Maple syrup and sugar are among North America’s oldest food traditions, with roots dating back to the Indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River regions, who developed methods for harvesting maple sap by cutting tree trunks, collecting the sap, and boiling it into syrup. 

In 1557, French explorer André Thevet learned maple sugaring from the native peoples and went on to expand production. Today, maple syrup is produced almost exclusively in eastern Canada (Quebec produces over 70% of the world’s supply) and the northeastern U.S. 

Modern maple syrup production involves tapping trees (mainly sugar, black, and red maples) by drilling holes and inserting spigots. The sap (1.5-3% solids) is collected in large storage tanks and then boiled in open pans to evaporate water, yielding one gallon of syrup from 30-50 gallons of sap.

Maple syrup is graded by color and flavor; Canadian maple syrup must be at least 66% sugar and made solely from maple sap, and you can find amber and dark varieties based on their concentrations.

One Tablespoon (28 grams/1 ounce) has 53 calories and contains manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, copper, and riboflavin. It is an antioxidant, demulcent, and anti-inflammatory, has a low glycemic index (GI 54), and is considered a tonic for the heart, respiratory system, bones, and brain, reducing oxidative stress, supporting cognitive function, and promoting stability.

Ayurvedically, maple has a sweet rasa (taste), cool virya (potency), and sweet vipaka (post-digestive effect), making it incredibly soothing and stabilizing, especially for the Pitta dosha. It also benefits Vata, with its oily quality, although it is slightly cooling. The Kapha dosha is heavy, cold, and sluggish. A better sweetener would be raw honey, which is considered warming and has a scraping effect.