Maple syrup is synonymous with Canada, who produce the overwhelming majority of the world’s maple syrup. And my sweet tooth has had a soft spot for it since I was a child. In mid-2017, D’s colleague returned from a lengthy stay in Canada bearing the cutest jars of Maples Sugar Shack Maples’ Butter.

Maple butter isn’t something you can easily find in Australia. It’s made by heating maple syrup past 100°C, cooling it to around 52°C, and stirring until it reaches a smooth consistency. Contrary to its name, it is dairy-free.

The maple butter is a light tan colour with a light and spreadable consistency that’s slightly softer than peanut butter but less runny than lemon butter.

One way to eat maple butter is as a spread. I don’t eat toast regularly, but I like maple syrup enough to make an exception (four times in two days, no less).

The maple butter has the fragrant, clear sweetness of maple syrup but with a smooth, thicker mouthfeel that clings to the palate more so than the syrup. After a few bites, the depth of maple flavour recedes somewhat and pleasantly reminds one of an Original Glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut. Eating toast could become a regular thing if I had more maple butter!

This jar of Maples Sugar Shack Maples’ Butter contained 80 g. It was produced in Canada and gifted by colleagues visiting British Columbia, Canada in 2017.