I was born in New York City and I grew up in New Jersey. My mom was from New Hampshire, which is where I've lived for 37 years now. My mom was raised on real maple syrup, but she bought artificial syrup or part-real/part-artificial syrup when I was a kid. read more
By contrast, the artificial stuff -- think Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth's -- is mostly corn syrup. Fake maple syrup resembles real maple syrup about as much as Velveeta resembles a good Camembert. But when I asked 1,000 Americans which they preferred on their pancakes, the artificial brands won out big time. read more
Real maple syrup is worth the extra expense, and it's not only great as a hot cakes topper but in plenty of other dishes, too. It's a great sweetener for breakfast cereals, hot or cold, tops up cottage cheese and yogurt, makes a tasty marinade for tofu or meat, and even tastes great in a latte or cappuccino. read more