Send in the Mounties! The White House is about to commit a culinary crime of international proportions. During Thursday's state dinner with the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, the White House will serve its guests maple syrup... from New England.
Responding to what we can only presume was a menu oversight, White House executive pastry chef Susie Morrison said the New England product was just what the kitchen had on hand.
It's like a hockey stick to my Canadian heart. The natural sweetener is so woven into the fabric of Canadian culture that the maple leaf is emblazoned on the national flag and one of its hockey teams takes its not-so-intimidating name. Just mention the words maple butter tart to a Canadian and her heart will swell with national pride.
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After all, Canadians have been tapping their nation's majestic forest of maple trees since the pioneer days. The country's northern locale actually makes it ideal for the production of sap that requires freezing nights and warmer days to flow productively from the tree's wood to the tap.
While New England states do boast a small maple syrup industry, Canada is the powerhouse. In 2012, Canada produced 7.9 million gallons of maple syrup to New England's 1.2 million gallons. Canada has more than 8,000 maple syrup businesses and the country's sugarhouses provide 85 percent of the world's maple syrup to something like 45 countries. In fact, the U.S. is the world's primary importer of Canadian maple syrup. Canadian maple syrup is so widespread that you'd really have to work at choosing a non-Canadian brand.
Look, I'll be the first to admit my home country is easy to mock for lagging behind the super power to its south, but in maple syrup, at least, Canada reigns supreme. So, next time, don't slum the syrup, eh?
