The next time you sit down to breakfast, why don’t you pour some British Columbia-made maple syrup over your waffles or pancakes?
That’s right – maple syrup is produced right here in B.C. Not only that, birch syrup is also produced, which last year was voted one of the top-10 food trends in Canada.
B.C. maple syrup is produced using the sap of the Bigleaf maple which grows primarily on Vancouver Island and in some regions of coastal mainland B.C.
Birch syrup is primarily produced in the Cariboo region. Different than traditional maple syrup, it is not as sweet and reputed to have a more caramel-like flavour.
The provincial government recently expanded its list of “Qualifying Agricultural Uses” to include broad leaf maple and birch sap or syrup.
Considered a breakthrough for this emerging sector, the new status will provide more flexibility for producers to meet the requirements to maintain farm status.
Maple and birch trees can be tapped for their sap and used to produce high quality, high-value niche market products such as syrup, barbeque sauce and candy, including tasty fudge and chewy toffee.
The syrup is a very versatile product and can be used on pancakes, as a sweetener, a glaze for meats, topping for ice-cream, and in salad dressings and sauces.
Birch and Bigleaf maple syrup and syrup products can be purchased directly from independent producers.
