Maple Syrup: A Short History of Canada's Sweetest Obsession
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Maple syrup may be celebrated on both sides of the border, but its deep roots—cultural, ecological, and economic—are firmly planted in Eastern Canada. In this thoughtful, clear-eyed history, forester and syrup-maker Peter Kuitenbrouwer brings a practitioner's perspective to a subject too often wrapped in nostalgia.
Blending Indigenous history, natural science, and contemporary industry insight, Kuitenbrouwer traces the evolution of maple sugaring from early techniques to today’s high-volume, high-tech operations.
He doesn't shy away from complexity: the labor of boiling sap, the environmental toll of land consolidation, or the tensions between heritage and commerce. Still, his admiration for the people who return to the sugarbush each spring is palpable.
Illustrated and concise, this is a grounded introduction to maple syrup’s enduring cultural significance—a story of place, persistence, and sweetness hard-won.
Hardcover.
Published on October 21, 2025
