List of Best Maple Syrup Brands in India (Editor’s Choice)

Hello Friends, before going into the pros and cons, let us quickly understand what actually is Maple Syrup and if Maple Syrup is healthy or unhealthy?

What Is Maple Syrup?

In simple words, Maple syrup is a lovely natural sweetener that is healthier and more nutritious than regular sugar. It is prepared from the sap or liquid fluids of maple trees. The practice of extraction and product consumption started from North America, the East Coast, and the majority of Canada.

Fun Fact: About 80% of maple syrup’s global supply comes from the eastern region of Canada, named Quebec.

Maple syrup is produced from 3 different species of maple trees, namely,

• Sugar maple tree
• Red maple tree
• Black maple tree

Maple Syrup production procedure:

• Drill a hole in a maple tree and collect the liquid fluid or sap from it into a vessel.
• Boil the sap fluid to remove the water content.
• Allow the mixture to cool; you will obtain thick, sugary and sticky syrup.
• Filter the syrup to get rid of impurities and store them in containers.
• Maple syrup is ready!

Nutrition Information:

The nutritive contents of 1 tablespoon of sugary Maple syrup are:

• Calories: 52 calories
• Carbohydrates: 13 grams
• Protein: 0 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Fiber: 0 grams
• Sugar: 12 grams

Maple syrup has negligible amounts of vitamins in it. However, it has few minerals in decent quantities. According to a Nutritionist, a tablespoon of syrup consists of 32% of the daily manganese requirement of our body.  Apart from this, maple syrup consists of the following minerals:

•  Zinc
• Iron
•  Calcium
•  Potassium
•  Copper

Maple syrup is classified into various grades based on its color characteristics. 

The darker shade maple syrups are prepared from the sap extracted after the harvesting season. These consist of very strong maple flavor and are mainly selected for baking purposes, while the lighter color syrups are used in daily applications. 

Maple grading varies from region to region. Canada and the US contribute to over 95% of global maple syrup production. In 2014 both regions created a new grade for operation and business ease. 

Maple syrup producers and associations from the USA and Canada along with IMSI have classified the maple syrup into different grades based on the syrup color. Following are grading details (currently followed):

Grade A:

• Golden color syrup (slight, delicate taste)
• Amber color syrup (rich taste)
• Dark color syrup (robust vigorous taste)
• Very dark colors syrup (strong taste)

Processing Grade:

If the maple syrup is off-color, having sediments and pungent flavor, it is classified as processing grade syrup.

Substandard type:

If the maple syrup is not as per prerequisite features, it is classified as substandard syrup and not allowed for local sales.

Check out the following chart for your understanding ease.

Maple Grades:

Following are important uses of Maple Syrup:

• The one thing which comes to everyone’s mind for maple syrup is super delicious Pancakes! I hope you have tried it.
• In many Dutch regions, you will observe wide-scale use of maple syrup for preparing Pies and Scones.
• In the provinces of the USA and Canada, people consume cocktails with a dash of sweet maple syrup.

Apart from these, Maple syrup is useful in preparing:

• Fajitas
• Waffles
• Vegetable Soups
• As a coating on roasted Vegetables
• Topping on Popcorns
• Decorating bakery items, like cupcakes, pastries, etc.

Friends, Mac Donald’s isn’t the burger firm here, It’s Maple Mac Donald’s from Canada. It is a premium traditional player in the maple manufacturing segment and is widely known for its quality product. This maple syrup is loaded with nutrients like zinc, riboflavin, calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Reasons to Buy:

• Rich, authentic traditional taste
• Consists of zero additives and chemicals

Urban Platter’s Maple syrup is naturally sweet, healthy and nutritious syrup. It is widely preferred for topping pancakes and even consumed for cooking and baking purposes. It has a rich robust taste and is loaded with protein content.

Reasons to Buy:

• 100% natural and healthy
• Intense rich flavour
• No preservatives, fillers, additives

Freshos Maple syrup is a Grade A syrup of Canadian origin. It has a robust delicious taste that is untampered by mixing any artificial contents in the syrup. It is hygienically packed in glass bottles and delivered across the globe for its exceptional quality. Try this maple syrup for preparing your desserts.

Reasons to Buy:

• 100% product guarantee
• Rich taste and gluten-free
• Perfect for waffles, pancakes, fajitas, etc

Epicure Maple syrup is a thick premium golden brown shade syrup. Epicure has been in business for over 110 years and is one of the reputed brands of authentic maple syrup in the world. It is 100% pure maple syrup which is free from artificial preservatives and chemicals. The syrup provides instant energy and combines well with your delicious desserts.

Reasons to Buy:

• Professionals in Maple syrup business
• Thick concentrated syrup
• Perfect taste and aroma

Abbie’s Maple syrup is one of the finest, delicious and premium syrups in Canada. Abbie’s is a renowned brand in the business and it has been awarded by The Economics Times as the best FMCG brand of 2020. Its Maple syrup is rich, healthy and nutritious and perfect for your DIY baking recipes.

Reasons to Buy:

• 100% pure and sweet flavour
• No artificial flavours and added preservatives

Let’s check out the possible health benefits of Maple syrup!

• It provides instant energy:

Maple syrup is loaded with essential minerals and vital nutrients; one of them is manganese which is helpful to boost your energy levels significantly. Consuming Maple syrup on a daily basis helps to fulfill the manganese requirements of your body.

• It is good for guys:

Maple syrup is useful for Men’s reproductive organs and overall health. Its manganese content is beneficial in developing sex hormones. Moreover, maple syrup is helpful to prevent issues of prostate swelling and enlargement.

• It improves heart health:

Friends, Maple syrup is beneficial for healthy heart functioning. It consists of zinc which is helpful to protect your heart’s artery from the free radicals in the body. It prevents the hardening of arteries and ensures steady cholesterol levels in the body.

• It has low GI:

According to Nutritive ratings, Maple syrup has a low glycemic index score of 54 as compared to 65 of regular sugar. It is perhaps being the lowest in the sugar family which is also helpful to prevent heart ailments and obesity.

• It is good for brain health:

According to health experts, Maple syrup is beneficial for the growth and development of important brain cells. It also protects the tangling, clumping and folding of a few proteins in your brain cells.

• It may support antibiotic effects:

According to researchers, Maple syrup is found beneficial to antibiotics named carbenicillin and ciprofloxacin. Does sweet syrup help antibiotics perform better? Strange isn’t it? But as per experts, Maple syrup helps antibiotics reach bacteria’s interior cells and destroy them.

• It helps to reduce cholesterols:

Apart from a happy and healthy heart, Maple syrup is beneficial to control and reduce the cholesterols levels in the body. It is widely appreciated as a liver tonic. It is helpful to avoid liver inflammation.

• It promotes good skin health:

Maple syrup is excellent for your skin health. It can be easily applied on your skin directly or can be mixed with yogurt, milk, honey or crushed oats powder. It is a perfect skin hydrating substance. According to dermatologists, Maple syrup works wonders to reduce skin inflammation and prevent redness, dryness and reduce blemishes.

• It is loaded, loaded and loaded with Antioxidants:

Yes, it’s super loaded with Antioxidants. In fact, it consists of 54 important antioxidants and is thus called a Superfood!

Also, it protects you from getting dehydrated during hot days of the year. It helps to boost your energy levels and revitalize the body.

Friends, you might be aware of the health hazards of consuming excess sugar in your body. Well, Maple syrup is high in sugar content and thus, there are few areas of concern, let’s check it out.

1. It might complicate diabetes

Maple syrup is a sweetened syrup that provides carbohydrates in sugar form. This sugar impacts the blood sugar levels or insulin percentage to shoot up in an individual. Thus, consumers who have diabetes might be affected by the daily intake of maple syrup and create complications.

2. It results in tooth decay

Any form of sugar is potent for oral health, as the bacteria or germs breed and grow due to the presence of sugar. Consuming Maple syrup in excess quantities can result in dental issues, tooth decay and cavities.

1. Is maple syrup better for you than sugar?

Yes, Maple syrup is slightly better than regular sugar and honey. It has a comparatively more amount of minerals and antioxidants. But, it has more calories and should be consumed in decent quantities only.

2. Is maple syrup healthier than honey?

Maple syrup is slightly healthier than honey in terms of nutritive contents. It has minerals like potassium, zinc, magnesium and calcium, and more fats. Honey consists of protein, carbs and more calories. Although Honey has a good amount of iron and copper, it is not a healthier option in comparison.

3. Is maple syrup healthier than brown sugar?

All types of sugar, including brown sugar have a high GI (Glycemic index) and Maple syrup in comparison has a low GI, and thus a healthier option friends. Also, it has more minerals and about 24 types of antioxidants.

4. Is maple syrup anti-inflammatory?

According to studies, Maple syrup consists of a Quebecol molecule, which has important anti-inflammatory properties. Thus it is suitable to reduce inflammation.

5. Why is maple syrup so expensive?

Maple syrup is expensive since it is seasonal crop produce. The price is high for product supply and demand gap and also it is man-power intensive work. So putting this all together, the pricing is higher in the market.

6. Is maple syrup good for fatty liver?

Yes, Maple syrup is good for fatty liver. It is observed that maple syrup works on genes producing injurious ammonia in the liver and deactivates them. It actually improves liver health.

7. Does maple syrup need to be refrigerated?

Maple syrup has a shelf life of 2-3 years when the packing is closed. Closed bottled syrup does not require refrigeration and can be kept at room temperature. However, once you open the jar of syrup you have to store it in the refrigerator for longer use.

8. Is maple syrup Keto?

No friends, Maple syrup is basically a sugar and consists of high carbs and so doesn’t qualify as a Keto food.

9. Can maple syrup help you lose weight?

A big No! As I said earlier, Maple syrup is simply a sugary food and it does not possess any property which leads to weight loss.

10. Is maple syrup a Superfood?

Maple syrup consists of essential antioxidants and anti-inflammable constituents which are present in Green tea, which is known as a superfood. So, with numerous health benefits and rich antioxidants, Maple syrup is a superfood too!

11.  Why is Canadian maple syrup so good?

Canada is gifted with perfect climatic conditions which suit the maple plantations. Its balance of cold nights and warm daytimes has enabled the world’s best maple variant to flourish over the years. As of date, about 80-85% of global maple syrup comes from the country of Canada itself.

Maple Syrup is a sweet, yummy, delicious, mouth-watering food. It is loaded with vital nutrients and minerals and most importantly antioxidants. Remember the count?

Also, Maple syrup is slightly better than normal sugar in terms of GI value and nutritive contents, however, the sad part is it isn’t a healthy food as such. It is less nutritious as compared to fruits and vegetables.

Maple Syrup is high in sugar content, which in any studies is not a very good option for human beings. Therefore, the intake should be in check.

Friends, I would recommend a moderate intake of maple syrup occasionally for your DIY recipes and it’s out of the world taste. You can select any of my suggested brands for your maple syrup purchase.

Maple syrup is healthy in moderation and Unhealthy in excess consumption!

Ending on a sweet note!

Tada!