Maple Syrup: Nutritional Properties

What is maple syrup?

Maple syrup is a sweet, viscous and sticky liquid, obtained by cutting the trunk of maple trees (trees of the Genus Acerum). The sweet sap that comes out of these incisions contains from 2 to 5% of sucrose; after harvesting, it is then boiled for a long time to evaporate most of the water, concentrating the syrup.

About 3 kg of sugar can be obtained from a medium-sized tree. The trees mainly used for the extraction of syrup (sugar maple - A. saccharum - red maple - A. rubrum - black maple - A. nigrum) grow abundantly in some regions between Canada and the United States; not surprisingly, maple syrup, available in the most well-stocked supermarkets or herbalists, is a typically Canadian specialty.
Note: Other maple species used for syrup production are: Manitoba maple (A. negundo), silver maple (A. saccharinum - not to be confused with the saccharum) and Oregon maple (A. macrophyllum).

Similar syrups can also be made from birch or palm trees.