CANADA
Please Pass the Syrup
By Jill Murphy
New Britain, CT, United States
Maple syrup is an emblem of Canadian identity. When people think about Canada, this gooey brown sweetness is often where their minds go. Loved by many, maple syrup has created a name for Canada. More than fifty countries each year import maple syrup from Canada, proving that the world cannot get enough of its taste.
From Tree to Table
Maple syrup is made from certain types of maple trees in the eastern part of Canada. They build up starch in their trunks during the winter. Once spring begins and the temperature starts rising, there’s a perfect window of warmer days and below-freezing nights. The tree converts starch into sugar and collects water from its roots.
The pressure that builds within the tree during the early spring days causes the sap to leak through any cuts in the bark. As the pressure starts to drop, the sap flow slows until it stops for the night. This process continues for six weeks, until a carefully regulated amount of sap has been harvested.
Maple sap contains about 97 percent water, plus minerals, organic acids and maple taste precursors. Heating the sap to remove the water content can be done in several ways. It takes about 40 liters of sap to make one liter of syrup. The trees on 2.5 acres of land can output about 250 liters of syrup.
A Sappy Ending
Once the syrup is collected and condensed, it is exported throughout the world. In 2017, 10,847 maple farms produced 12.5 million gallons of syrup.
Quebec exports 95 percent of Canada’s maple products, making it the most productive province. The United States is one of Canada’s biggest importers, consuming 65 percent of the maple syrup exported from Canada.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for maple syrup grew while warm temperatures suppressed supply. As a result, the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers announced that 22.7 million kilograms of syrup would be released from its strategic reserve.
Thanks to this sweet stockpile, you get to have your (pan)cake and eat it, too!
Have a suggestion for this story? We’d love for you to submit it!


Blank
Blank
Math Resources
- How much sap will be required to make 12.5 million gallons of syrup? How many swimming pools could you fill with that amount of syrup?
- If the US consumes 65 percent of Canada’s exported maple syrup, how many gallons go to other countries? What is this amount in liters?
- How many liters of sap will it take to make 25 liters of syrup? What is this amount in gallons?
- If one tree produces an average of 42 liters of sap in a season, how many trees will it take to make 25 liters of syrup?
- If the US produces 4.3 million gallons of maple syrup from 13.3 million taps, how much syrup does each tap produce?
- If farmers sell their syrup for US$35 per gallon, what is the total revenue for maple syrup production in the entire country?
Social Justice Question
The maple syrup industry is concerned about climate change. Think of all the ways that warmer temperatures might reduce sap production. Now try to generate some possible solutions that growers could implement.
Explore Further
- Facts about the maple syrup industry in Canada
- Data tables about maple syrup production
- How to make your own maple syrup
- Video about making syrup from one tree
- Research about climate change and syrup production
- News story about the 2021 strategic reserve release
- Audio report about what a tapping crew does
Share Your Story
Write your own Global Math Story and send it to us!
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.