Canada and Maple Syrup come hand in hand, and I’ve recently discovered yet another Canadian goodie that incorporates Maple Syrup… Maple Taffy on snow!
You can find maple taffy across Canada, but I tried it from a sugar shack when I was visited Hotel de Glace in Quebec City on a weekend trip. It’s made by boiling maple sap past the point that it would become maple syrup, but not so long that it would become maple butter. The sugar syrup is then poured over the snow and you’re given a flat wooden stick to roll in the hardening sugar candy.
I recorded my experience here:
These sugar shacks are called ‘Cabane a Sucre’ in French (Everything sounds better in French)
These sugar shacks do sell other goodies like the ever-toursity maple syrup in glass bottles, maple butter (sounds so good, I should try making it) and maple lollipops. But everyone seems to be queueing up for Maple Taffy, and for good reason too!
It reminded me of this ‘molten honey on a stick’ treat that I ate when I was young. I don’t even know if there was a name for it, but it was one of my favourite childhood snacks. There was always an old lady, in her 70s to 80s, who sat by the roadside near Holland Village who would use two chopsticks to skilfully twirl the golden strands of honey. Those were my fond childhood memories.
Maple taffy is something like that! It tastes like hardened honey, yet once you bite through the slightly harder exterior, it gives way to the messy molten maple inside. It’s definitely a messy treat, so be prepared to get your hands, and pretty much everything you’re holding, sticky! I liked the ice coating the maple taffy, because it helped to offset some of the sweetness. It is really sweet, after all you are eating pure maple syrup. I suggest taking your time to eat it so the sweetness doesn’t overwhelm.
Maple taffy on snow is unique to Quebec’s culture, as well as Eastern Ontario and New Brunswick, so you won’t find it if you go to the west coast of Canada. But if you’re in the Quebecois region, you’ve definitely got to try this. It is hands down a fun experience for both adults and kids.
Foogo! 