Ask 100 people in the street to name a food they associate with Canada, and there’s a good chance that the vast majority will say ‘maple syrup’ – there’s an even better chance that most of the crowd will say it with a grin on their face.
Reminiscent of autumn and winter, the delicious, dark brown condiment’s most famous companion are pancakes, but the warm and earthy flavour of maple syrup can be used to bring life to many more dishes, both sweet and savoury. An ideal replacement for honey, maple syrup is enormously versatile in food preparation but can also be added to drinks such as coffee and smoothies.
A drizzle in porridge for breakfast, a generous pouring over waffles for brunch, part of a salad dressing for lunch, or a caramelised glaze for meat and fish for dinner demonstrate that maple syrup is an all-day ingredient.
Carrots and parsnips, especially, benefit from tossing in maple syrup after roasting to add flavour, texture and a glorious shine that enhances the appearance of your dinner table.
Baking, too, is an arena in which maple syrup feels right at home. Added to cakes to provide sweetness and moisture, maple syrup also acts nicely as the glue for a baked nutty granola and is a natural bedfellow of the quintessential winter spice, cinnamon.
As well as oats and nuts found in granola, other flavours that happily welcome maple syrup include apples, pears, bananas, cranberries and seeds – all those comforting foods that seem so right for this time of year.
Although high in natural sugars, maple syrup has far more health benefits than regular table sugar and has a lower glycemic index than its sugary rival. Stocked with antioxidants plus minerals including iron, copper, potassium, zinc, calcium and manganese, Canada’s renowned export is also high in riboflavin that helps the body to maintain energy.
Varying in colour and flavour depending on harvesting, pure maple syrup is a plant-based food that comes directly from the sap of trees and is then boiled to make the syrup we know and love. Have a bottle of this cherished product in your cupboard and you’re just a glug away from a unique Canadian sweetness.
Just add maple syrup
Top it like you mean it
AED 17.00 / Each
The Original Waffle Co. English style waffles 130g
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