The next time you sit down to breakfast, why don't you pour some British Columbia-made maple syrup over your waffles or pancakes? That's right; maple syrup is produced right here in B.C. Not only that, birch syrup is also produced, which last year was voted one of the top-10 food trends in Canada.

B.C. maple syrup is produced using the sap of the Bigleaf maple which grows primarily on Vancouver Island and in some regions of coastal mainland B.C.

Birch Syrup is primarily produced in the Cariboo region of B.C. Different than traditional maple syrup, it is not as sweet and reputed to have a more caramel-like flavour.

The government of B.C. recently expanded its list of "Qualifying Agricultural Uses" to include broad leaf maple and birch sap or syrup. Considered a breakthrough for this emerging sector, the new status will provide more flexibility for producers to meet the requirements to maintain farm status.

Maple and birch trees can be tapped for their sap and used to produce high quality, high-value niche market products such as syrup, barbeque sauce and candy including tasty fudge and chewy toffee. The syrup is a very versatile product and can be used on pancakes, as a sweetener, a glaze for meats, topping for ice-cream, and in salad dressings and sauces.

Birch and Bigleaf maple syrup and syrup products can be purchased directly from independent producers.

Sample fresh, locally-made maple syrup at the Bigleaf Maple Syrup Festival at the BC Forest Discovery Centre in Duncan on Saturday, Feb. 2. Festival events will include tastings, tapping demonstrations, live entertainment, mini-workshops, and syrup competitions. There will also be maple products for sale.

Quotes:

Minister of Agriculture Norm Letnick -

"Building the local market for B.C. foods is a key component of government's plan to lead the agrifoods sector growth into a $14-billion-a-year industry by 2017. The passion for local foods in B.C. has never been stronger, and new, innovative products such as these support government's clear commitment to build local demand and support for B.C. foods."

Moose Meadows Farm, Ted Traer, R.P.F. -

"We're excited that this new change will recognize the efforts of these diversified farm producers. After all, syrup-making is truly Canadian, just like Mounties, moose, snowshoes and hockey . . . and it's also made right here on the West Coast. "

Backlunds' Backwoods, Gary Backlund -

"Maple syrup is one of the few foods that is both additive- and preservative-free. Maple sugaring allows farming to become a year-round process and gets you outside on those crisp winter days to check sap flows - a great excuse for a bit of exercise."

Quick Facts:

Bigleaf Maple

• Bigleaf maple is the most common maple on Vancouver Island and the largest maple in Canada, reaching heights of 36 metres.
• Top production season for Bigleaf maple tapping is January and February.
• Ideal tapping conditions include a high water table and a few days of below-freezing temperature followed by a warm, sunny day to allow the sap to flow.
• Raw sap can be used in place of water for cooking and as a beverage.
• Sap is made up of about 98 per cent water and 2 per cent sugar. It takes about 50 litres of sap to make one litre of syrup.
• The first Bigleaf Maple Syrup Festival was held on Vancouver Island in 2008.
• Traditionally sap was boiled into maple syrup by First Nations people and the raw sap was used to treat scurvy and malnutrition.

Birch syrup

• Birch sap is very healthy and may contain minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and vitamin A and has been consumed for centuries as a health drink in numerous countries
• In B.C. indigenous birch trees include White Birch, Paper Birch, Alaska Birch and Canoe Birch.
• A birch tree will produce an average of four litres of sap per tree per day over the season.
• Sap starts to flow once the ground thaws and temperatures are above freezing
• The production of birch syrup is very labour intensive. While traditional maple syrup takes approximately 40 litres of sap to produce one litre of syrup, it takes 80-120 litres of sap to produce the equivalent in birch syrup.
• * Since birch syrup is predominantly fructose-based, it tastes less sweet and is reputed to beasier to digest than maple syrup.
• Birch Syrup is typically used in cooking applications as opposed to pancake syrup.

Learn More:

BC Forest Discovery Centre: http://www.bcforestmuseum.com/?maple-syrup,142

Bigleaf Maple Syrup Festival: http://www.discoveryforest.com/?bigleaf-maple-syrup-festival,109

Media contacts:

Kathryn Hardy
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Agriculture
250 387-1693

Ted Traer or Heloise Dixon Warren
Moose Meadows Farm
250 249-5329

Gary Backlund
Backlunds' Backwoods
250 245-4939