Maple sugar
 Ziiga'igaans (maple sugar cubes) being made in a ziiga'iganaatig (sugar press-mould) |
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| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Canada and the United States |
| Details | |
| Type | Confectionery |
| Main ingredient(s) | Sap of the sugar maple tree |
Maple sugar is a traditional sweetener in the northeastern United States and Canada, prepared from the sap of the sugar maple tree.
Contents |
Preparation[edit]
Maple sugar is what remains after the sap of the sugar maple is boiled for longer than is needed to create maple syrup or maple taffy.[1] Once almost all the water has been boiled off, all that is left is a solid sugar.[2] By composition, this sugar is about 90% sucrose, the remainder consisting of variable amounts of glucose and fructose.[3] This is usually sold in pressed blocks or as a translucent candy.[4] It is difficult to create as the sugar easily burns and thus requires considerable skill.[5]
History[edit]
Maple sugar was the preferred form of maple by First Nations/Native American peoples as the sugar could easily be transported and lasted a long time. It is called ziinzibaakwad by the Anishinaabeg.[6] [7] Blessing of the Bay, the second ocean-going merchant ship built in the English colonies, carried maple sugar from the Massachusetts Bay Colony to New Amsterdam as early as 1631.[8]
Uses[edit]
It is today used to flavor some maple products and can be used as an alternative to cane sugar. Maple sugar is about twice as sweet as standard granulated sugar.[9]
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Sugar makak – 1925
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Demonstration of Native American technique of making maple sugar
References[edit]
- ^ http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/pdfpubs/7036.pdf
- ^ http://www.baking911.com/candy/maple.htm
- ^ http://www.mi-maplesyrup.com/Information/info_maplenutrition.htm
- ^ http://www.canadianmaplesyrup.com/maplehistory.html
- ^ http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/pubs/trees.htm
- ^ Weshki-Ayaad, Lippert and Gambill. Ojibwe-English and English-Ojibwe online dictionary.
- ^ http://www.morsefarm.com/pages/history.php
- ^ Clark, William Horace (1938). Ships and Sailors: The Story of Our Merchant Marine. Boston: L.C. Page & Co. pp. 15–17.
- ^ http://homecooking.about.com/od/specificfoo1/a/maplestorage.htm
