Have you heard… Canada’s liquid gold is running low?
Canada, the land of the maple tree; is known for not only beautiful landscapes and valuable wood products but sustaining the maple syrup trade. An industry with an estimated harvest of $133 million, the USA accumulating 60% of global sales, maple syrup is unquestionably Canada’s little gold mine – no wonder the great maple syrup heist of 2012, where $18.7 million worth of maple syrup was secretly replaced with water, is still being talked about.
Maple syrup is identified by its deep golden-brown colour and is most famously seen smothering pancakes. Throughout the pandemic when consumers started experimenting more with their food, this saw this delectable treat’s popularity rise globally by 36%. Maple syrup is now not only seen as a breakfast item but a diverse ingredient that can be utilised in both.
Savoury and sweet dishes – a secret bartenders have known for years, elevating the complexity of flavour in cocktails. While maple syrup has become a common ingredient in UK households, the snack market frequently hypes up their use of this flavour to entice consumers to their luxurious sounding product.
Like all great things, the maple syrup market isn’t unscathed by the climate crisis – each year as the temperature increases, it decreases the amount of time available for the harvest. Collecting the sap from the maple trees relies heavily on optimum conditions; during the day the temperature should be just above freezing and during the night just below freezing. As global temperatures continue to rise, the harvest time has been cut by nearly a quarter. Even Canada’s top maple producers have confessed to raiding some of their reserve supplies – but due to its growing popularity will supply be able to keep up with demand?
Wanting an alternative that still adds that luxurious taste to your products? Look no further, House of Flavours is here with maple flavours. For our concepts we decided to choose one of our most distinct maple flavouring, Maple 085/19595, delivering a dominating fenugreek burst, followed by smoky, dark brown aromas, and completed with a nutty end note – suitable for bakery, dairy, syrups, and dried fruits.
Here a simple layered sponge is taken to new heights as Maple 085/19595 steals the show. The sponge has a harmonising combination of Maple 085/19595 and Sweet Cinnamon 085/22049, providing the desired dark brown and nutty notes with a subtle hint of spice. The sponge is then topped with Whiskey 085/23347 flavoured buttercream, drawing out the smoky notes from the maple flavour. The whole thing is then wrapped in Pear 085/18477 flavoured milk chocolate – creating a fresh juicy element that cuts through the rich depth of flavours in the sponge.
On a more savoury side, we handcrafted, a 3-day prove sourdough – perfectly combining our Maple 085/19595 with our Tomato 085/21934. These flavours united create a sweet undertone with a predominately savoury feel as the desired tangy note from the sourdough is balanced by the sweetness from the Maple 085/19595 and then finished with a fruity tomato note – highly recommended served with British cheese and chilli chutney.
