Travel Article: Maple Magic: Sugaring-off in Quebec

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	A Sugar Shack nestled in a Maple Grove¹

Nowhere in Canada is spring sweeter than in Quebec. In this eastern province, the spring season is signalled by what Quebecers call “sugaring-off”. When night temperatures dip below zero and the day brings the mercury above, conditions are perfect for coaxing the sweet sap from Quebec's plentiful maple trees. Beginning in early March and continuing for approximately six weeks into April until the flowers bloom, tree trunks are tapped and buckets readied as maple syrup producers and the public flock to the sugar bushes of southern Quebec for a taste of the country's sweetest export.

Approximately 85 per cent of the world's maple syrup comes from Canada, and of that, about 90 per cent is produced in Quebec. Taking centre stage on the nation's flag, the maple leaf not only signifies the unity of all Canadian people, but a rich industry they are right to be proud of.

However, maple's economic prowess is not the only reason for salivating, er, celebrating. Not only is the sugaring-off season an excuse for those with a sweet tooth to indulge, but it also gives the public a chance to partake in a fun and age-old tradition at numerous sugar shacks across the south.

A SWEET START

The sugar maple tree is native to North America's northeast. Long before the arrival of European settlers to this part of the world, the northeastern First Nations people discovered that the sweet sap of the sugar maple made a delicious condiment for their meals. They collected the sap in birch bark vessels and cooked meat such as venison in the sweet water. By boiling the sap over fire, or by placing hot rocks in the bowl with the sap, the First Nations people were no doubt pleased to learn that they could make a sweet, delectable syrup.


A Family boiling Maple Sap in the Sugar Bush, 1910²

Among different tribes, many legends explain the discovery of maple syrup. A well-known Algonquian tale tells of the wife of a chief who chanced upon a vessel of sweet water sitting at the foot of a tree her husband had gashed with his tomahawk. The frugal woman decided to cook the evening meal (venison) in the sweetened water, which boiled down to a rich syrup. Needless to say, her husband was impressed and news of his wife's prowess in the kitchen spread rapidly through the area, thus beginning the tradition of “sugar-making.”

When European settlers arrived in the 1600s, they observed and imitated the First Nations methods of extracting and using maple syrup, collecting the sap in wooden pails. They continued this tradition for centuries, experimenting with different types of vessels, including iron pans and tin pails. During the first half of the 1900s farmers toyed with the idea of pipelines (first wooden troughs then tin), however, this system never really took off until the 1970s when plastic tubing succeeded to become the preferred method of collection.


	Horse-Drawn Maple Sap Collection³

MAKING MAGIC TODAY

While the bucket collection method is still in use today, especially for public participation at traditional sugar shacks, this method of gathering the maple's sweet nectar is extremely hard work for large quantities. It takes about 40 litres (10.6 gal.) of sap to make just 1 litre (0.26 gal.) of maple syrup! Today, major producers rely on a vacuum tubing system to suck the sap from the trees. In most cases, a plastic pipeline runs from the trees to either a lower collection point in the sugar bush, or directly to the sugar shack.

Once the raw sap is collected, the magic happens when it is reduced by simple techniques involving boilers, wood-fired evaporators or high-pressure reverse osmosis until, voila! Pure, natural maple syrup.

OFF TO THE SUGAR SHACK

While larger industry players have modernised the “maple machine,” traditional sugar shacks remain ingrained in Quebecois culture. Representing the pioneer past, these resilient sugar houses are labours of love that will continue to treat generations to come.


Maple Trees Tapped and Buckets Ready⁴

Many sugar shacks are open year round, offering visitors the chance to understand the maple-making process, to enjoy the rustic and natural surroundings, and most of all to indulge in traditional meals dripping in maple goodness. Who can resist the likes of homemade pea soup, oven baked omelettes, crispy pork, maple ham, meat pies, roasted potatoes and perfect crêpes, all served with a generous side of pure Quebecois maple syrup? During the sugaring-off season, sugar shacks are particularly popular with families, and offer activities such as sleigh rides, maple taffy on snow, and even the opportunity to head into the sugar bush to tap into the trees oneself!

There are approximately 200 sugar shacks sprinkled throughout southern Quebec, many of which are easily accessible from both Quebec City and Montreal.

Greater Quebec City
Visitors to Quebec City need not travel far to satisfy their sweet tooth with a number of sugar houses situated in the Greater Quebec City area. Among them, Le Chemin du Roy in St-Augustin-de-Desmaures is open all year and offers a traditional sap house meal, horse sleigh rides and guided tours. Guests can also enjoy maple taffy on snow, hiking and cross-country skiing through the maple forest. St-Nicolas' Érablière du Cap is also open year round for restaurant reservations, but really turns on the sugar during maple season with activities such as dog sledding and live entertainment thrown in the mix.

North of Quebec City, in Lac-Beauport, Érablière du Lac-Beauport is proud of both its Maple Museum, which depicts the evolution of the maple industry, and its unique Trapper's Camp—an interpretive centre populated by a collection of taxidermic animals found in the area.


	Maple Taffy on Snow⁵

Montreal Area
Sugar shacks can be found close to Montreal's city borders as well as a little farther afield in scenic rural areas of the Greater Montreal region.

To name a couple of reputable huts northwest of Montreal, the Chalet des Érables in Saint-Anne-des-Plaines near Laval is very popular with families, where in addition to sleigh rides, children also delight in riding the Choo Choo Express and mini quad bikes, boggling at magic shows and even putting out a simulated fire with an authentic vintage fire truck. Set in the thick of a maple grove near St-Augustin de Mirabel, the western-style Domaine Magaline continues the traditions of a 1930's Quebec sugar house, collecting sap the old-fashioned way and celebrating the good ol' cowboy days.

Heading northeast of Montreal, visitors will also find an abundance of maple sugaring destinations. The Cabane à sucre des Sportifs puts a unique spin on the traditional sugar shack, mixing it up with a sporting vibe. Meals are served by sports-loving waiting staff, visitors can improve their strike with the automatic ball-launcher, and indoor hockey and baseball facilities are located on site. Cabane à sucre Dupuis on the other hand, stays true to tradition, from the rustic wood cabin right down to the bucket collection and boiling of maple sap, and is just 40 minutes from the city.

Le Festival de l'Erable de Plessisville
When the sap stops flowing, cabane à sucre festivals farewell the sugaring-off season at various sugar shacks or in the streets. The Festival de l'Erable de Plessisville is one of the biggest, celebrating with thousands of maple-lovers each year, since 1959. The massive party features concerts and shows, old-fashioned indoor markets, a mini-farm, and plenty of maple magic!

Just 15 minutes south of Montreal in Sainte-Julie, the Érablière Le Rossignol provides a convenient taste of the country, while many sugar shacks can be found farther south in the St-Jean-sur-Richelieu area, too. Kids love the great playground at Érablière au Sous-Bois and many are thrilled to join their adults in lending a hand in the maple-making process. Another popular choice is La Goudrelle, situated near the village of Mont-Saint-Gregoire. Backed by a vast maple forest, the warm and spacious wooden maple sugar shack offers tables laden with as much food as one can eat. Wander, or ride the sleigh through the sugar bush, pet animals at the mini-farm, but most of all, savour that small, sweet pleasure in life: Quebec maple syrup.

If you enjoyed this feature, take a look at these great WorldWeb.com articles:
• The Best of North America's Chocolate Attractions
• Top 10 Festivals in Quebec

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

A Small Sugar Shack in a Maple Grove in Quebec; QC, Canada
Historical Photograph of a Family Boiling Maple Sap in 1910; QC, Canada
A Farmer Collects Maple Sap with a Horse-Drawn Cart; QC, Canada
Pails Attached to Tapped Maple Trees; QC, Canada
A Sugar Shack Visitor Enjoys Maple Taffy on Snow; QC, Canada

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Maple Magic: Sugaring-off in Quebec