Cabane à Sucre
This weekend we visited a "Cabane à Sucre" or Sugar Shack with Eric and his parents. These are the places that make the world famous "Sirop d'érable" or Maple Syrup (Ahornsiroop). I guess maple syrup is one of the quintessential Canadian things. Even the leaf of the maple tree is on the Canadian flag!
Most of the maple syrup is made in Québec (some in Ontario and some in the bordering US states e.g. Vermont). It's a Québec tradition to visit a sugar shack in late winter, early spring when syrup is being produced. When the sap of the maple trees start flowing again, after the winter, it is tapped of and brought to the boil to become syrup. It is an all natural product, no additional colourings or flavourings.
And at the "cabane a suc" (this is how the Québecois pronounce it), the liquid gold is poured over a rustic meal with potatoes, beans, ham, bacon, sausages. The typical meal starts with pea soup, you have some "marinades" as a side dish (pickled beetroot and pickled cucumbers) and let's not forget "oreilles de crisse". It literally means Christ's Ears, but it's basically crispy deep fried smoked pork. Crisse is also a typical Québecois profanity.
You end the meal with "crêpes", that are more like yeast-risen doughnuts (think 'Smoutebollen without the beer') but oh so yummie!
And as a final treat you get to do "tire sur neige". Hot thick maple syrup is poured onto snow so it hardens, and you roll it onto a stick and lick that lollypop!
Needless to say all that sugar and fat has us on a diet now ...
Dig in!
Erik, Eric & ses parents.
Wood fired boiling maple syrup.
Tire sur neige.
Most of the maple syrup is made in Québec (some in Ontario and some in the bordering US states e.g. Vermont). It's a Québec tradition to visit a sugar shack in late winter, early spring when syrup is being produced. When the sap of the maple trees start flowing again, after the winter, it is tapped of and brought to the boil to become syrup. It is an all natural product, no additional colourings or flavourings.
And at the "cabane a suc" (this is how the Québecois pronounce it), the liquid gold is poured over a rustic meal with potatoes, beans, ham, bacon, sausages. The typical meal starts with pea soup, you have some "marinades" as a side dish (pickled beetroot and pickled cucumbers) and let's not forget "oreilles de crisse". It literally means Christ's Ears, but it's basically crispy deep fried smoked pork. Crisse is also a typical Québecois profanity.
You end the meal with "crêpes", that are more like yeast-risen doughnuts (think 'Smoutebollen without the beer') but oh so yummie!
And as a final treat you get to do "tire sur neige". Hot thick maple syrup is poured onto snow so it hardens, and you roll it onto a stick and lick that lollypop!
Needless to say all that sugar and fat has us on a diet now ...
Dig in!
Erik, Eric & ses parents.
Wood fired boiling maple syrup.
Tire sur neige.
WATCH OUT WHERE THE HUSKIES GO
AN' DON'T YOU EAT THAT YELLOW SNOW
AN' DON'T YOU EAT THAT YELLOW SNOW
posted by E. Stilker at 11:25 AM
2 Comments:
Heerlijk! Bewaar je zo'n stokje voor ons in juli? :)
De toeristen kunnen het zelfs in de zomer in Montréal doen op artficiële sneeuw ...
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