Perhaps the most iconic symbol of Canada is the maple leaf which comes from the tree that produces…you guessed it Canada's sweet treat, maple syrup! Made by boiling maple sap down, one litre (4 cups) of this sweet syrup demands 40 litres (400 cups) of sap. Enjoyed on pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, ice cream, and so many other foods, maple syrup is truly a Canadian favourite. The Province of Quebec is the largest producer of maple syrup responsible for producing 70% of the world's supply! Fun fact right there!
With a population of just under 12,000, Elmira, Ontario is one of Canada’s smaller towns – and perhaps one of the most famous. Each year Elmira hosts the largest festival in the world honouring the sweet stuff and it takes more than 2000 volunteers to make it happen! As you approach Elmira (from any direction) the roads are lined with Mennonites selling homemade maple syrup, maple candies, and maple sugar. The main street is shut down completely; everyone parks on the outskirts of town and enjoys a hayride in. If all you know is table syrup, you’re in for a real treat!
Of course, with all this talk of maple syrup we just had to buy one from our local farm, Reesor's Farm Market in Stouffville, Ontario to give away to one lucky reader!
We're also couldn't help one of these sugar maple candies from jumping in to the shopping cart too! Sharing the sweet Canadian love!
Maple syrup, maple candy, loonie and toonie oh my! For an opportunity to win this hour's prizes be sure to leave a comment below by July 7th and we will randomly select one lucky winner this hour to win them! After leaving your comment here we hope you'll take a moment to visit us on Facebook and Instagram (@sctmagazine) and leave a comment there as well for THREE chances to win! We'll be compiling all the comments each hour!
Let's talk Canada's blooms and music next hour!
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Fun Fact: Canada consumes the most doughnuts and has the most doughnut shops per capita of any country in the world.
Mmmmn maple goodness! Thanks for a chance to win!
MMMM, pancakes, waffles, donuts and maple syrup! Oh wait, don’t forget Maple Kisses!
I have been very fortunate to try both, the syrup and the candy. Mt daughter visited Ontario and Quebec in her sophomore year to practice french and brought me some. Truly a divine marriage between nature and man.
I introduced an East Indian lady to maple syrup. Her on,y question: what else could she do with it other than pancakes. It was a huge hit :)
Elmira festival is great day out
Yup, I remember helping to make a ton of syrup when I was a child. I had to stay away from the boiling syrup tho’ so I wouldn’t get burned.
Thanks for all the great memories!
Happy Birthday Canada!
Mmmm….real maple syrup. There is no comparison when it comes to the real stuff. It is awesome poured on oatmeal in the morning. Use toast or homemade bread to sop some up off a puddle on your plate. Brush it on a piece of fried salmon for a real treat for supper time.
Making me very hungry just thinking about it.
Thanks for sharing! :D
We love maple everything here! We once tap our tree, oh my boiling down the sap is a big process!
When we were in Alberta, maple syrup was a treat. Now that we’re in Ontario, it’s a necessity!
Love maple syrup and not just on my pancakes.
One of my favourite maple treats is when they pour the warm syrup over snow and then you put a popsicle stick in it to make a taffy type treat on a stick
Since my mom and dad lived in Onslow County, North Carolina, they were invited to Canada years ago to celebrate the Centennial of Quyon, Onslow, and they brought me some syrup and maple leaf candy. Oh my, were they ever good!! Happy Birthday, Canada!
I always love trying local treats. These look yummy!
Sweet prize! There is nothing better than Canadian made Maple Syrup and candies! Oh except maybe winning some!
Spring wouldn’t be Spring without a visit to a maple bush
Love, love, love maple syrup, so delicious! I am enjoying your Canada 150 celebration so much! I”m also learning lots of little fun facts and tidbits – had no idea about the donuts – wowzers!
Need to get myself to Elmira!
I’ve been to several maple syrup festivals, but never the one in Elmira. Maybe next year. I LOVE maple syrup, especially when it’s laid on snow and hardened into a sucker. Thanks for all the cool Canada facts. I’m learning a couple things about my country. :)
Who doesn’t love maple syrup?!?!? Sundays, holidays, and birthdays are pancake days.
Maple syrup and Maple candies are a sure way to my heart melt! I can’t remember the last time I had either of these sweet treats and would be crying with utter joy if I was to see that this was on its way to me! I might share just a little of it but it would be hoarded like the true liquid gold that it is! Yummy! TFS!
I love anything maple flavoured … drooling at the thought of all the delicious foods enhanced by maple! Would love to win this hour’ prize – thanks, eh?!!!
Yummy maple syrup. I love just about maple anything.
We sent our exchange student back home to Switzerland with a few cans of maple syrup. After they enjoyed eating it they contacted us asking how they could make some maple syrup ?.
Love, love, love maple syrup
Yummy! Nothing better than Canadian maple syrup. On everything :o)
YUMMMMMMM!
What a sweet prize!
Maple syrup would go well in home made baked beans and bacon! yum.
Maple syrup is so Canadian. My children and now my grandchild loved to visit the maple sugar bush and watch it being collected and eat pancakes with the syrup.
I love all things Maple!! I love cookies, donuts, syrup, candy and everything Maple you can think of!!
Producing maple syrup is HARD WORK but ohhhhh so worth it. And maple syrup produced in different areas has a bit of a different flavour…my preference being syrup produced in the Eastern Townships of Quebec….ummmm…simply the best!
Ooh, and those maple syrup hard candies — the ones they sell for 30 cents apiece at the register of all the gift shops. The ones that are more addictive than crack. Those are soooo good. Thanks for the opportunity to win.
Oh yes, our Maple syrup is the BEST and it is great just how many different things we can pour it on; pancakes, ice cream. ham, snow….
LOL Canada offers us so much and we should be proud of everything. Happy Canada Day.
Mmmmm… love maple syrup! Thanks for the chance to win some!
Love using maple syrup!
Thanks for the chance to win. Happy Canada Day from Saskatchewan ??!
what’s not to love about Maple syrup!?
Loving all the info
on Canada! This prize
pack would be delish!
Carla from Utah
Maple syrup, maple leaf, Happy birthday, Canadian Geese!
Mmm…breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and it’s no wonder when we have the world’s best maple syrup to go with it! What a wonderful prize you’re giving away this hour. Love it!
Love maple candy! Still remember it from a trip to Canada as a child with my family.
Love the maple syrup on pancakes but the best is a slice of white bread (homemaid, if possible), a little bit of 35% cream over it and pure maple butter on top… OMG!
Love maple syrup!! Thanks for a great day!!
How AWESOME!!! Thank you for the opportunity!
Sweet maple-ly goodness!
Mmmmm! Doughnuts and maple syrup! Yummy!
Love the maple sugar candies.
Maple syrup boiling down, steam rising–yummy!
OOOOOOOOOOO really maple syrup!! And anytime some one mentions maple candy, I remember the friends episode when Chandler and Ross drive up to Vermont and stop at every maple candy place along the way and Ross is uber hyper by the time they get there. LOL
maple cream my fav in the spring, and we have sugar camps only 20 minutes away!!
Yum!! Nothing comes close to the real maple goodness! Tastes like Canada.