What`s on Your Pancake?

What Should You Put
on Your Pancakes?
Doesit payto buythepriciest
syrupinthe aisle-anddoesit evenneedto berealmaple?
> BY LISA
ff,-
he s]'nip arca of the supemrarkeris full of
evocative names. l-ou can brcakfast lith
n:orhcrty lvlrs. Buttrn\.orrh or manly
I
.L ' HrrntD' |ack or escapeinto nature u'ith
Maple Grove Farms, Spring Trce, or l,og Cabin.
Sold side bv side, genuine maple s1'rup and socalled pancake synrp (made rvith high-frr.:ctose
corn syrup) can range fron more thrn Sl per
ounce for the real deal to a mere 14 cents per
ounce for an imitation. But, price and product
nanres aside, rvhich tastes best) To find out, rve
pittcd fbur top-selling narional brancisof maple
s1'mp against five popular p;rncake syrups, hoping
to find the best onc for pouring o,,'cr pancakes
or using in rccipes such as our l{aple-Pccaa Pie
iNove mbey'Decernber 1995). For good measurc,
uc also threlr.' in the uinning nrail-order n:eple
s1'nrptiom a previoustlsrirrg.
Atnericans lcvc svrr.rp,sf.entling more thrn $450
n'rillion a vear on ir in supernrarketsalote, t,ith
prncirke svmp r"lstly' t-xrrscllirrgreal rrraple sy'mp.
\\'itilc thc t*o n'l:cr k',rtkalikci rrndboth tastesl'eet,
the siinilirrirl'endsrircr,:.r\1.r1:le
sl,rugris simpll'tree
sap that h.rsbeen boilcd io rcduceits *,ater content
I
NIcNlANUS(
and concentrateits sugar. fu the sap boils dorvn, it
caramelizesand develops a characteristicmaple flavor and golden brosn color. Pancakeq'rup, on the
other hand, is a manufacrurcd mix of high-fructose
com syrupand other ingredientsengineeredro taste
likc maple.
Thesemaplc uannrbes havetheir rr-crkcut out for
them, asit'sJr<iteas),to rcplicrte the tasteofgenuinc
maple s1'rup. Its flavors l?ry enormousl,r'-some
slrups are rich and complex, n'idr hint.s of honey,
*'ood, cofFee,smokc, caramel,chocolatc, and even
rum---others are light, bright, and remarkablyclcantasting for something so s\r'eet. Indeed, sciendsts
have idcntified nearll' 300 flavor conrpounds in
nnple s1'rup(though not in cven'one); theseare
produced asthe rarious amino acids,phcnolic compounds, minerals, salts,and sugarscontaincd in sap
interrct drrring boiling.
Still Tapped by Hand
I{aple s1'rupcosts much more than panclke syrup
firr somcvery good rcasons:Irs procluctionis laborintensir.e,s,ith a shon seasonand lirrited supply.
Sap only runs for about a nronth lt thc cnd of
*inter, s'hen freezing nigl.rtsancll\?rmcr da1'sturn
l 'l apleGr a , l eS c h o ol :Wh e re A l l
starchstorcd in thc trcc roots inttl sugiarrnti stan it
circulating through ihe rree to fi"rclspring groir-rh.
Grade inflation hrs trickled dovin fro;n school to syn_rp: Workers set taps b1'hand and mo\-e them each1'ear
so that the uees can heal. l!'c've all seenpicnu-esof
Althcugh there are fou:- grades of maple syntp set by the
buckets on trees and horsc-dr:ru'n'$'agonscarrying
U.S. go.rernment accor'd!;rgto color, three of them are A
sap to the sugarhouse; firnrers todrl' usc milcs of
anCthe lowest is B. !'ernroni used to havegradesA, B, and
C but go: rid oi C arid added a new grade calied Fancy. phsdc tubing, u.hich is laid by hand throughout
f..eepinga rnaple sy,-uprepon card can be confusingbecause the lvoods to convc). sap. The maple trces gron.in
a linrited arca: Quebc-cprocluccsabout 29 pcrcent
indi.uiduiistaresha'reiheir own standardsanCCanadabuck
of thc rrorlc-l'smaple st.mp, fcrl.los'ecl
the trend w'ith grades as lor.r a: D. -L.M.
tt.\i:mronr,
sith the remainder from orher statcs.
TI -1EF E DE RAL GRADES ARE:
It takes a lot of maple slp to nuke svnrp: ForB.
GRADE A
Verylighrgold,withmildmaple
gillons boil do*'n to aroturd I g:rllon of srnrp. \\hcr.r
LIGHT AMBER
flavor;in Vermonr,alsoknown
ir reachesthc riglrr density, the slmp i.sfiltercd ane'l
asFanc-v.
poured hot into containers.Ib dn-elop a consistent
product 1'earafier vcar, laree mlr-mfhcturcrs start
GPADE A
Slightiy
darker,wirhmoremaple
uith a spccificundcrsrandingof drcir pr.eti'nc.{flirvor
i'lEDltJl'l AMBER flavor.
profile, then carclirllv blcnd sr.rupin b:rtchcsbeforc
rcprstcr,rrizitr:1
and botrline it.
G R A DE A
Even darker, with a stronger
The U.S. governnlent enfbrccs stlnchrds tbr
D A RK A MB ER
m;tple flavor.
nraplesvrtr;,,rccluirine a ntininrum of 66 percent
dcnsiry(a mrasrrreof sugrr content) and grading
GRADE B
Sonredmes
ca!led"cooking
the st'rup b',' c<;'lor(scc "r\I:rplc Grar,lcSchool,"
syrup,"vef,r'ciar(with intense
Icft). Thc li ghtest-colorcd, nrosr tlcl icarc-llrrvored
mapleflavor.
slnrp, tilppcd at thr-.[c.gin;11rrg
of thc sei.lsolt
\\,hcl1
Syrupls AUotuAugage _
C()()|\
S
ll-Lt
Sl
,1
zo
'
N.\l
I l)
the sap first begins florving, is usually the most
expensive-more than $l per ounce. As thc season progressesand the w.eatherwarmi, the syrup
bccomcs darker antl more intensely flavored
Certain influences, such as insect infestations in
trees or tapping sip too latc in the season,rvhcn
buds are forming, can produce off-flnors. '
Although maple ivrlrp has been poured sincc
Nativc Americansfirst discoyeredthe su'eejtness
ol
mlplc sap, pancakes,vrupis a modem invention.
The first brand, log Cabin, concoctedin l88Z asa
chcaperalrcrnative,originalll contained45 perecur
maple sr'rup supplemented by' ipexpensivc corn
si'rup. As more brands came along, the rerl :nrple
content shnnk; Aunt |emima, for instancc,made
its debut irr 1966 rvith just l5 percenrnraplcsl'mp.
By the 1970s, most brands--claiming cusromers
didn't mind-had elin'rinaredmaple syrup from
their producrs, rcplacing it *irh a sleu. of arrificiai
flarorings and additives.
Cloying and Candylike
As soon as rr'c tabularcclthe results of our tastings,
it becamcclcar thirr thc pancakes1'mpsrr.oulclriot
do: \\tredrer rasted on l.al}]es or b;rked in l.laclePccanPie,thevgot the thurnbs.do,rn.Not o:riv^clicl
rnostof thcseproducts nor tJstc like meplc, tasrers
conrpl;rinedof orerpon'ering brrtterscot,:h,r.anilia.
or caramel notes and an anificial butter fler.or thrrr
gavedrc p:rncake$'nrps a cloi'ing, ..candylike" tastr'.
I{ost alsohad an "unnaniralh' thick,lis:ous tcrrljre
that usters disliked.
As fbr thc mrple svnrps,in a nsd_nga <iccadea5lo,
rr'c preferrcd d:rrk sirups nith intense m:.ple il.rlrrr
to the delicateflilr'or of pr.:cei'Gradc A Lighr r\.nrbcr.
svnrp.Ovcr thc yc;trs,\\'e lr.rveronfirmcd this p:-etcrencc and do not lcconrnlcnd pxring top doil.rr fbr
the highcst-grrdcsr.rup.L'r this tasdng,fciur of rhe
fir'e svrrrpss'e sempletl ri'ere Grade A Dark Antber,
nrcaningelch should hl'c hrd a simihr, moderarell
decp fl.rvor--bllr sontc lost points for h:rving lcs
nr:rplefl11'61
56anotl)crs.Or.erl.r'intense
fl..*'ordic{n't
r..in thc drtr',cither: Or.rrfbnncr sinncr, a dlrk Cr.rde
13symp, ranked sect>ndor.crlll (rhough it lon tl-rc
pie tasting-{rade B is often callcd ..cookir:gsrrup"
for good reason).
Ot'enrltelnrirrgs\\'eetnrsss.asalsoa nrrnoft. a.ncJ
lab testsconfirnrcd thar thc lou.cst-mnkeclnrlple
st'nrPshld rhe hiehr.stsuir;rrlr,,r:ls.Tastersprcfcrrc.l
a gc.rodbirl;rnccof ss'cctn.-ss
.rnd uraplc flar.or.Orrr
TASTINGMAPLEAND PAI{CAKESYRTJPS,
lnc':four
frm InformationResources'
marketresearch
nationalbrandsidentifledby the Chicago-based
Twency-twoCooh\ Illrstrnttd staf memberstastedninetop-selling
We
the
syrups
sampled
previous
tasting.
from
a
maple
syrup
favorite
mail-ord€r
our
genuinemaplesyrupsandfive pancakesyrupsmadefrom corn syrup.We alsoincluded
overall
appeal.
and
teKure,
sweetness'
ilavor,
complexity.
maple
pie
on
rated
them
and
in
blind
tasrings
1995)
with wafflesand in our Maple-pecan (November/December
supermarkets.
Priceswere paidat Boston-area
andihe syrupsarelistedin order of preference.
The resultswere averaged,
N OT R E C OH H E N D E D
{- REC O M HEN D E D
E
.b.;$&*-1
MAPLE GROVE FARMS PureMapleSYruP
of U.S.andCanada)
GradeA DarkAmber(Product
KELLOGG'S EGGO OriginalSYruP
(15centsperounce)
for23ounces
Price:$3-49
Price:95.29 for 8.5 ounces (62 cens per ounce)
Sugar Content: 62.9gl I OOg
*A
good balance of maple and sweetness" 'potent'"
Comments:
"ctean," and 'intense," with 'good eanhy, mapley notes.' "Lovely,*very
sweet and natural," with a 'perfect consistency'nor loo-thick
or thin" and 'a rich, mapley aftenaste.' In pie, it was 'very mild'
Comments: "Very sugary.Slightly plastic. Maple aftenaste, but
weak.' In pie, while a minority of lasrers liked its "nice, loasted
sweetness,' many complained:'Where's the maple?" and "Yuck'
I can tasrethe chemicals.'ln sum: -What's the point of being the
best of the woml'
but tasted real and sadsfing.-
a
AUNT JEMIMA OriginalSYruP
HIGHLAND SUGARWORKS
of Vermont)
GradeB CookingHapte(Product
Price: $ | 6.95 per pint ($ | .05 per ounce)
by mail order PlusshiPPing
Sugar Content: 63.3gl | 009
Comments: While usters agreedon our favoqitemail-order
syrup! "exceltent maple flavor,- described as -intense and com';.'
plex, well-balanced,'with notes of "whiskey" or'molasses'" a few
found ir 'a bit nruch'when tasted plain.But rhis dark syrup shone
in Fie, earniog prdise for "very rich, deep" maple flavon
:i,.
Price: $3.59 for 24 ounces(15 cenls Per oun€e)
*honey
and
Comments: A few Esters liked this syruP's
"The
I grew up wirh'
quipped:
taste
fondly
vanilla' notes; one
Straightfomard corn syrup laced with maPle." But mos! comments
weie lessforgiving 'Fake. viscous corn sya:p.- with a 'fake maple
smell' and "fake butter flavor."
@
&
-:iiiiC A M P M a ple Syr u p
Grade A Dark Amber (Productof Canada)
Price:g | 2.49for | 2.5ounces($| perounce)
SugarContent: 5 l.8gl l00g
foundthissyrup"clean-and'mild,-with
Comments:Tasters
-lighrmapleflavor' that was"pleasantly
thin andsweet.'Some
describednotesof "wood andcoffee':one saidit "tastesliketre€s
andmountains."ln pie, it was'mild' and"barelythere'"
REC O MHE N D E D \ ^ / I T H R E SERVAT IONS
MRS. BUTTERWORTH'S OriginalSyrup
(i5 centsperounce)
for24ounces
Price:$1.49
Comments: Tasters likened this syrup to "melted candy,' "cheap
butterscotch,' and "rvhat a maple-flavored Life Saver would taste
like." One summed it up: "Sweet,thick, vile." In pie, it was 'saccharine sweeq' with 'no off-flavors, but not very mapley either."
LOG CABIN PancakeSyrup
SPRING TREE PureMapleSYruP
GradeA DarkAmber(Pmductof Canada)
Price: $3.59 for 24 ounces(15 cents per ounce)
Comments: The "smooth,- "melted caramel" sweetnss of this
syrup was inoffensive,but usters found its 'salry, strong ardficial
butter flavorJike movie-theater popcorn' thoroughly off-puning. In
pie, it fared bener, but mst agreed it was 'cloyingly sweet."
Price: $9.49 for | 2.5 ouncesp6 cens per ounce)
Sugar Contenc 65.49l | 00g
Comments: ? good maple flavor, with thin consistency'"almost
"like it wasn't reduced," this syrup had a "li8ht body and a sliSht
burned taste," though it was also deemed "veet. natural,' and
'clearly maple.'A few tasters detected a 'slighdy acidic- off-note'
HUNGRY JACK OriginalSyrup
M A P L E G OL D Syr u p
Grade A Dark Amber (Product of Canada)
Price: $5.29for 8.5 ounces(52cens Perounce)
Sugar Content: 64.9gllffig
Comments: Tsters enjoyedthe'solidmaplellavor"of $is cor
tender.bc alsonotedtharit was'thin." 'achinglysweet,"and'slightly
ofr-usting,-with an 'asuingent' inidalflavorand'cirus/- aftertasle'
least fhvorite s)'rup had a high level of sugar and
u'cak maple flavor, s'hile our \\'inner enlbod.ied a
balancc of the nvo.
Anv number of enrironmcntal factors, including
changes in soil, u'eather, and gro$ing condidons,
can account lbr vari;rdons in maple f"lavor. But
\rhr are some nlaPle s\'ruPs s\l-ceter thau others,
whe n all must till *'ithin a ttrv pcrcentagePoints of
for suglr densin'i Dctrsin' ret-lects
Itclcrll stendarc'ls
Price: 93.99 for 27.6 ounces( I 4 cents Per ounce)
Comments: Tasten descrbed this syrup as "super sweet and
sloppy, with a vanilla flavor-'They also said it was 'thick and butter),. but Estes like corn slruP' and 'more sweet than maple'" lts
texture was decried as "so thick you could stand a sPoon in it,'
'like tar," and '8loppy."
the percentageof all dissolved solit{s in dre s1'rup;
these are mrinl-y suglrs' but also include trace
arnountsof nrinerals.Experts told us that minute
ditltrences in manuthcturing-such as boiling the
s)'rup too long, not long enough, or at too high
a rcmpcraturc---{anai}€ct the anrount of sugar in
tl're-finalproduct. The sugar content olrh needed
to \'aq' b)' a pcrcentagepoint or t\\'o for our tasters
to notice the diflercnce.
l.\\L' .\RY
tt
F F .BR L.\R \
ll)O9
Low Price, Top Taste
In the end, tastersagreed that one real nlaPle syrup
stood out. The lV{apleGrove Farms Grade A Dark
Alr-rbersrup---one of the lou-est-priced,at 62 cents
per ounce-had eYerything \\'e sought: "potent,
clean,intense"nlaple flavor, moderatc s\\eeuless'a
consistencvdrat l'as ncither too dlick nor too thin'
l'rt{ no off-t'll'on. \Ve'll be happt'to Pour it ovcr our
ncxt batch of prnc:rkesand cook s'ith it, too.