History and Health Benefits of Maple Syrup
October 6, 2011
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Seattle
• 0 Comments
History and Health Benefits of Maple Syrup
While Vermont, the true home of maple syrup, and Washington are nearly 3,000 miles apart, it doesn’t mean you can’t bring some of this New England treasure to your fabulous cooking in Seattle. When fall comes around each year there is something very satisfying about adding maple syrup to some of your favorite baking recipes or using it to sweeten your oatmeal or pancakes. If you are on the fence about making the switch to this tasty natural product, here is a brief history and some health benefits to help sweeten the deal.
History of Maple Syrup
The history of maple syrup is nearly as rich as the sticky mixture itself. The native people of north eastern North America were the first to discover the wonderful sweetening qualities of maple syrup as they relied on the plants and native species of the land to support their tribes. The Algonquins are created as the first tribe to recognize the syrup as a source of instant energy and nutrition. They boiled the sap from the maple trees over an open fire. Later when the Europeans settled in, they too learned of the benefits and the great taste of this natural wonder from the natives who showed them how to turn the sap into syrup. The Europeans made slight changes to the process based on their technology and rugged culinary techniques but the general product remained the same.
The Europeans found that the time the sap ran the strongest was just after the spring thaw and they began boring holes near the base of the tree and collected the running sap in buckets. Centuries later this primitive, traditional method is still used across the maple farming areas of New Hampshire.
Health Benefits
As the natives first discovered, there are many nutritional and health benefits associated with maple syrup.
Manganese
This trace mineral is naturally found in maple syrup and is associated with antioxidant defenses and energy production. In just one ounce of maple syrup, you get 22% of your daily manganese intake.
Heart Health
The antioxidant capabilities combined with the natural supply of zinc in maple syrup has proven to promote heart health and is a great sweetener choice for people with atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque (or a fatty substance like cholesterol) builds up in the arteries.
Immune System Health
The benefits of zinc also extend to improving the immune system, especially in children. In order to function at their peak, many of the immune cells rely on a supply of both manganese and zinc.
Good for Male Hormones
For men, it’s very important for the daily needs for zinc to be met since a zinc deficit can have a negative impact on the prostate and has been associated with a higher risk for cancer. When the prostate is enlarged, many doctors prescribe zinc to take down the swelling.
Now that you know about both the history and the health benefits of maple syrup, you’re probably curious about what you can do with it. The great thing is that even if your culinary techniques are not up to par, you can enjoy maple syrup as an addition to some of your easy-to-make favorites. Just add a bit to your pancakes, waffles, oatmeal or French toast and you’re all set. If you feel like bringing a bit of New England flair into your favorite cooking in Seattle, try using it as a sweetener in applesauce, squash, cakes, pies…almost anything you can imagine!
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Seattle. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Seattle offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in the Seattle, Washington area. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Seattle for more information.
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