Lisa Umholtz
CCE CONTRIBUTOR
There’s something particularly Canadian about this time of year: temperatures are rising, snow is melting, and maple tree sap starts running. What could be more Canadian than maple syrup season and all the festivities that go with it?
Enjoy springtime tapping season while it lasts with this guide to the perfect day of pursuing Waterloo Region’s maple mother lode.
- Don’t miss the old-fashioned maple syrup toffee at the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival! You can only get this sticky treat once a year. This year’s festivities happen on April 5.
- Set your post-festival dinner sights on the Jane Bond in Waterloo where you can find the Maple Caramelized Pear Salad on their menu year round. Feeling thirsty? Maple syrup is a feature ingredient in their Apple Pie Tini, sharing the flavor stage with spiced rum, cinnamon schnapps, and apple juice.
- For dessert, head up King Street to Honey Bake Shop to enjoy the perfect pairing of sweet and savory with a maple bacon cupcake. If it’s decadence and richness you’re after, the maple pecan cheesecake from Marisol is worth the trip.
Hit up Matter of Taste for some caffeine reinforcement with a Canadian Fog latte. Think: London Fog, but made with maple tea, steamed milk and sweet caramel syrup. - After a full day of hunting for the best maple products our region has to offer, retire to the comfort of your own home for a well-earned nightcap. Go for a traditional Hot Toddy, but try using Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky for a maple Canadian twist.
Photos courtesy owner/creative commons/CCE file photos.
