The history of maple syrup in Quebec
Amerindian legends
The custom of collecting the sap of the maple tree and boiling it to obtain syrup from it comes to us from the Amerindians. Well before the white people arrived, they appreciated its energetic and nutritional value. After cutting a simple nick with a tomahawk, they attached a wood wedge to the bottom of this nick, drawing maple water to a bark receptacle. Then they boiled the collected sap in clay pots to obtain maple syrup.
The legend of Nokomis* (the Land) tells us that Nokomis, the grandmother of Manabush, was the first to pierce holes into the trunk of maple trees and collect maple syrup directly. Noticing that this sap was edible syrup, Manabush went to find and tell her: “Grandmother, it is not good that these trees produce sugar so easily. If men can collect sugar without effort, they will soon become lazy. They must work to get it. Before they can taste this exquisite syrup, the men should have to split the wood and spend nights watching the syrup cook.”
He said nothing further, but fearing that Nokomis would ignore his words and not taken any actions to prevent men from becoming lazy, he climbed to the top of a maple tree with a bucket of water and poured it into the tree, dissolving the sugar found inside the tree.
Since then, according to the legend, instead of being a thick syrup, the sap contains only 1 to 2% sugar, which can only be obtained through hard work.
* Source: Geographer, No. 6, April 1995, p. 9
The various Amerindian tribes that lived in Quebec long before the colonists arrived each had a legend to explain the origin of maple syrup.
| Tribe | Online Research |
|---|---|
| Mi’kmaq | http://www.erabliere-lac-beauport.qc.ca/indiens.htm |
| Algonquins | http://www.erabliere-lac-beauport.qc.ca/indiens.htm |
| Iroquois | http://www.erabliere-lac-beauport.qc.ca/indiens.htm |
From the first settlers to today's maple growers
Since the colony’s first days, it was the Amerindians who learned from their ancestors to notch the tree trunk at the beginning of spring to collect the sap and boil it. This practice quickly spread among the colonists, who found the syrup to be an important source of sugar during the 17th and 18th centuries.
The first colonists boiled the maple water in iron cauldrons. Using simple shelters to cover themselves, they went to "run the sugars." This was for them, as for us today, a period of rejoicing signifying the end of winter and the arrival of spring.
The spout of the time was made out of cedar wood. It was called a “spile” or “spout.” Cut into a bevel, it was then inserted into the notch. Although the use of the horse was more widespread than during the previous centuries, maple growers always had to put on their snowshoes to collect the maple water in the boilers. When a sufficient quantity was obtained, the maple water was boiled in the “sugar shack.” This resulted in maple syrup, reduction, taffy, and maple sugar, which was commonly known at the time as “country sugar.”
Another custom well-known to us is the creation of sugar moulds. These are true works of popular art, and the Musée de la Civilisation de Québec has a superb collection of more than 100 models. Made by hand and passed down from generation to generation, they were carved in maple, wild cherry, or walnut hard wood, often in one section or, more rarely, in several sections. They represented the everyday world of farming families of this period and are a part of Quebec’s historical heritage.
From the 20th century to today
With increased development and refined gathering techniques, it was sometimes necessary to collect maple water two or three time per day. Certain equipment was adapted to meet the new demands of the production method. The wooden bucket was replaced by an aluminium boiler. The sugar shack as it had been known up until then also transformed. From the heavy iron cauldron, they moved to the evaporator, which included thermometers, a float used to control the level and flow of the maple water, and a hood for drawing out the vapour.
In the middle of the 1970s, technology entered the maple production industry with the installation of networks of tubes in Quebec's maple forests. These blue plastic conduits replaced buckets, barrels, horses, and tractors. Thanks to a vacuum pump system, the maple water went directly from the tree to the maple syrup storage tanks. Each spout was connected to this system, which automatically started once the temperature was high enough for sap flow.
The appearance of the technique known as reverse osmosis in the 1980s was another technological revolution. Using a reverse osmosis membrane for the partial concentration of maple water respects the spirit and the regulations regarding maple products, since this technique cannot be assimilated to refining. This technology allows the maple water’s soluble elements to be concentrated and is considered a valid substitute for evaporation.
This innovation aims to decrease production costs and reduce the working hours for maple farming families. In addition, it preserves the authenticity of the taste and the integrity of the characteristics of maple products, which have had a worldwide reputation as a popular natural sugar for several hundred years.