This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
It is sold in four colors, depending on taste. But like wine, maple syrup has many subtleties. Immersion in the fascinating aromatic universe of this liquid gold with a master sommelier turned maple producer.
Pier-Alexis Soulière is one of 13,300 maple syrup producers in Quebec. Installed in the Sucrerie du curé, in Saint-Pierre-Baptiste, in Center-du-Québec, he cuts hundreds of trees to collect the sap in the boiler. A know-how in decline, which only concerns a few maple producers in the country and which he is trying to preserve. “There are some who tell me I’m crazy. Only 2% of production is still made in the boiler, because it’s a lot of work,” he says.
In 2019, the sommelier returned to his native village to found his company, PA Soulière Sélection, after traveling the world and winning the title of best sommelier in Canada and the Americas.
“Maple syrup was in my life before wine. My family has been doing it for five generations. I never bought one and never ran out of one. Over time, I realized that this was not the case for everyone,” he says.
His project ? Reviving the flavors of the past, which his generation knew very little: a traditional syrup, thicker, tastier and longer in the mouth.
Is syrup syrup?
If, due to lack of alcoholic fermentation, the syrup does not have the complexity of wine, it nevertheless provides the producer with the experimental ground he was looking for. “There are people who say ‘syrup is syrup’, and in a way they are right. But when you use traditional methods, it creates maple syrups that are less standardized, more imperfect, with more depth. It’s not any better or worse than the one made the modern way, it’s just… different! » he describes.
Since 1995, maple syrup has been classified according to its color in the warehouses of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers. A unique system in Quebec for classifying maple syrup also appeared in 2016. Each barrel is subject to a flavor evaluation. The “golden” syrup is known for its lightness and delicacy, and the “amber” syrup, for its rich taste. For its part, the “dark” syrup is renowned for its more robust notes, and the “very dark”, for its pronounced taste which resembles that of molasses. Each calls for a different use.
A fine connoisseur, Mr. Soulière believes that the evaporation time is used to predict the color of the syrup. “The sweeter the water, the less time it will boil, and the blonder the syrup will be,” he explains. Reverse osmosis, a filtration technique used by more than 90% of producers who sell their syrup in bulk or to intermediaries, helps reduce the time spent in the boiler.
The harvest period also plays a big role. “At the best of the season, maple water is particularly sweet, which means it doesn’t have time to caramelize. It creates a very pure maple taste,” adds Mr. Soulière.
Beyond color
Color can be relied upon to determine the flavor of a syrup produced in the usual manner. However, it is also obvious that the artisan and the methods he chooses count in obtaining a certain taste profile, recalls the maple producer.
“It’s like cooking. Great chefs are capable of conveying emotion or intention in their dishes. » The choice of harvesting technique, for example, subtly influences the final product. “If you use an anaerobic tubing system to collect your water, your syrup will be fruitier than if you use the boiler. A bit like an apple that changes taste once the flesh comes into contact with oxygen. »
Quebec researchers also believe that factors other than color can influence the flavor of liquid gold. Of these, Marie Filteau, professor at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at Laval University, is of the opinion that the microbiota of maple water has a direct effect on its taste.
“The taste of maple syrup remains one of nature’s best-kept mysteries. But we found that the microorganisms naturally present in the sap are associated with different flavors that are highly appreciated by consumers. The industry’s priorities currently focus on more pressing needs than the possibility of establishing controlled designations of origin. However, I remain convinced that it would be possible to develop them on the basis of differences found, for example, in the microbial composition of sap from one region to another. »
“There are still many things to explore with maple syrup,” concludes Mr. Soulière.
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This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.