TORONTO – Birch syrup is being touted by foodies as the latest unique flavouring to enhance savoury dishes as well as desserts. The rich, semi-sweet, dark syrup also lends an unexpected flavour to marinades, condiments and salad dressings.
The syrup, which is made from sap harvested from birch trees, is quite different from the better-known maple syrup. It’s not as sweet, the process of harvesting is much longer and the ratio – the amount of sap you have to collect – is much greater.
While the white birch tree is the more common source, one producer in Quebec has scored some interest among foodies with his syrup made from yellow birch trees.
Martin Malenfant established Erabliere Escuminac in Baie-des-Chaleurs, Gaspesie, Que., and started offering birch syrup in April 2010. Malenfant owns 480 hectares of harvestable forest, including about 300 hectares of yellow birch tress and about 200 hectares of maple trees. He produces more than 1,500 litres of birch syrup a year.
“The result is amazing, earthy and deep, rich. It’s great both sweet and savoury and one of my favourite applications is with nuts,” Toronto-based recipe developer Soo Kim said in an interview.
“My husband (Scot Woods) is a chef and he teaches at George Brown (College) full-time now, and he was using it in the restaurant in a couple of dishes. And I tasted it on fish, which is an amazing application,” said Kim. She added that Woods was experimenting with the syrup for some time before she, coincidentally, was asked to be a spokesperson for Erabliere Escuminac Yellow Birch Syrup.
The syrup, with its rich caramel flavour with notes of molasses, can be enjoyed in the traditional way on pancakes, but foodies are finding other ways to use it: in salad dressing, as a glaze for meat, fish and vegetables, and drizzled over ice cream and other desserts.
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“It opens up flavours within other flavours,” added Kim, who has worked alongside chefs in such Toronto eateries as Canoe, Zoom and Senses Restaurant and Bakery.
The harvest period of maple and birch sap can overlap, depending on weather; but in general, maple trees are notched in March, while birch trees are notched in April. Since only mature trees produce sap, the trees must be 30 to 70 years old and measure at least 25 centimetres in diameter.
It takes 130 litres of birch sap to make one litre of syrup while 35 litres of maple sap will yield one litre of syrup. Birch sap is boiled for a longer period of time at a moderate temperature until it turns to syrup compared to maple sap, which is boiled at a high temperature for a shorter period of time.
Malenfant is “very, very mindful of his practices,” Kim said. Erabliere Escuminac has been certified organic by Ecocert Canada, a national organization that grants biological/organic certifications that ensure products comply with distinct production methods.
“I love the fact that it’s Canadian and environmentally friendly,” said Kim, who also leads cooking demonstrations and works in test kitchens.
She added that Malenfant’s big concern is keeping the practice sustainable, which includes not tapping too many trees and keeping it organic.
“That integrity, I think, it’s really important for me not just as a food consultant but as a mindful consumer.”
Depending on the recipe or application, Kim said in general only a small amount of birch syrup is needed to achieve flavour. “It’s a bit thicker than maple syrup so a little bit definitely goes a long way.”
Birch syrup has about 100 calories per 30-millilitre (two-tablespoon) serving. It contains mostly fructose, which is the type of sugar found in fruit. It is easily digestible and has the lowest glycemic index of all sugars.
Unopened birch syrup can be kept at room temperature for at least three years. Once opened, birch syrup must be refrigerated to retain its flavour.
Escuminac is the biggest producer of birch syrup in Quebec and the only Quebec-based producer of yellow birch syrup. It was chosen as one of the top 10 winning products in the annual trends and innovations awards at last year’s SIAL, Canada’s international food trade show.
Birch syrup is also made in Canada by some other producers, including Sweet Tree Ventures in Quesnel, B.C., and Boreal Birch Syrup in Thunder Bay, Ont.
For those who want to try birch flavour in other ways, some companies bottle birch beer, a carbonated soft drink made from herbal extracts, usually from birch bark. It tastes similar to root beer and comes in a range of colours, depending on the type of birch tree the sap comes from and the whim of the bottler, who may use artificial colours.
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