The 4 Shades of Authentic Maple Syrup

The 4 Shades of Authentic Maple Syrup

Everybody loves maple syrup. North America is the only continent where Maple Syrup is produced. First discovered by the Native American Indians, it is still extracted traditionally by many growers in eastern Canada and the northeastern USA. 

Every maple season is different due to the weather and climate change, so you will find that there is some slight variation within the color and flavor range each season, a bit like wine! Let’s demystify the colors and flavors:

Maple syrup is graded by its color, there are 4 broad colors ranges that you can choose from, and each has a distinct maple profile. Our imported Maple Syrup as per the recent USDA standard, is Grade A which is thereafter defined by its color whether Very Dark, Dark, Amber, or Golden.

Very Dark Maple Syrup (Strong): The darkest and strongest of the maple syrups. It has an intense maple flavor ideal for baking as it adds the maple taste in all sorts of baked goods and breakfast items such as bacon and breakfast sausages. Very Dark Maple Syrup retains the strong maple profile in the finished product. 

Dark Maple Syrup (Robust): Dark, is a robust maple with a dark amber color. A more robust and pronounced taste than the Amber Maple Syrup, yet milder than the very dark. This is the most versatile, as we use it both as a topping for pancakes, and for baking.

Amber Maple Syrup (Rich): Amber maple has a beautiful lighter flavor and a more amber color. While a full-bodied maple syrup, it is more of a classic medium maple taste.  

Golden Maple Syrup (Delicate): Golden is a very delicate and light-colored maple syrup. It is subtle in flavor and very light in color, sometimes with hints of vanilla. The delicate flavor is a surprise to many who try it as it is not as strong as the other three.

Schullo currently imports the three most popular flavors of Maple Syrup: Very Dark, Dark, and Amber. All our maple syrup comes from the northeastern USA and Canada. Schullo maple syrup is certified organic per USDA standards, and we also carry conventional maple syrup. Our customers love the authentic maple syrup which we have been proudly importing from North America since 2015.

Source:

University of New Hampshire “Making the Grade--The Color and Flavor of Maple Syrup”

https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2022/03/making-grade-color-flavor-maple-syrup#:~:text=Despite%20the%20variation%20on%20the,the%20stronger%20the%20maple%20flavor.