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I can't ever remember us eating it though (it was sold to GF a long time ago and no longer bears the family name).
I'm not sure the article is correct. It's common for people to say Grade B has more flavor. But is more flavor better flavor? I usually like very strong flavors, like Double IPAs, but does that mean IPAs are better than more subtly flavored Belgian Ales? I've been under the impression that Grade B has more flavor, but not better flavor. That Grade A has a less over-powering, cleaner flavor.
I haven't done a taste test, but it would be fun to line up shot glasses of different Grade A and B to test. Mmm, like beer tasting but with maple syrup. Other than the flavor thing, the article was very interesting.
Maple syrup seems to be endemic for North America. Not sure about the rest of the Europe, but I don't think it can be found in shops over here in Balkans (and maple tree itself is not uncommon).
It can be found at some american chains where they serve northamerican-style pancakes, but in that case it's 99% sugar+colouring+flavouring.
As for maples, there are plenty all over the world, but the cultivar from which they make syrup is in fact northamerican, those we have in the old continent would not be good for syrup extraction AFAICT
Someone in the comments of the parent article mentions sortilège , it's a liqueur made from very light maple syrup and Canadian whisky. It's readily available in places like Quebec and worthwhile as an apertif.
Maple syrup seems to be endemic for North America. Not sure about the rest of the Europe, but I don't think it can be found in shops over here in Balkans (and maple tree itself is not uncommon).
The story seems to suggest that the milder (diluted or perhaps similar to diluted alternatives?) product would have been disfavored by the regime set up by the Pure Food and Drug Act, and thus assigned a lower 'grade'. But somehow the clearer/milder syrup got the higher 'grade'. Why? And what 'evolution' of "our sense of American identity" has outraced the labeling? (Was the Grade-A/Grade-B labeling ever aligned with preferences? Do people only now like the darker syrup more, and if so, when did that preference change?)
I don't mind the story, but the opening paragraph poses questions and promises answers that aren't delivered.
That was all interesting... but did I miss the part where the author explains how it came to be that "the nominally inferior grade offer[s] decidedly superior flavor" and yet "sells at a significant discount"? The story seems to suggest that the milder (diluted or perhaps similar to diluted alternatives?) product would have been disfavored by the regime set up by the Pure Food and Drug Act, and thus assigned a lower…
Maple syrup was originally a locally grown (American) sugar substitute. As such, what was valued was a neutral flavor, i.e., something that tasted as little like maple as possible, and as much like sweet liquid. Thus, Grade A (and Grade A Fancy, etc.) went to the lightest, mildest syrup, and Grade B (and Grade C, which is for industrial use) went to the darker syrup with a stronger maple flavor.
(As an aside: the grading is done by color. There is a small kit producers buy which has small samples of colored liquid for each grade, and the grade is assigned based on which liquid your syrup's color matches most closely.)
The change in preferences came when cane sugar became a cheaper commodity; there was no longer any reason to use maple syrup (or maple sugar) if you weren't looking for the maple flavor.
I used to make my own maple syrup, back when I lived in the US-- it was a lot of work, but a lot of fun.
The maple syrup I have from Trader Joe's says "100% Pure Vermont Maple Syrup Grade A Dark Amber" I'm not sure the article is correct. It's common for people to say Grade B has more flavor. But is more flavor better flavor? I usually like very strong flavors, like Double IPAs, but does that mean IPAs are better than more subtly flavored Belgian Ales? I've been under the impression that Grade B has more flavor, but not…
Grade A is not more subtle; it is merely more neutrally sweet (i.e., has less flavor.)