Top Five Must-Try Treats at the Maple Syrup Festival
There's nothing more quintessentially Canadian than a visit to a maple sugar bush to enjoy our national condiment on some fluffy pancakes. A visit to Bronte Creek Provincial Park's annual Maple Syrup Festival wouldn't be complete without a pancake drowning in maple syrup, but the Festival holds so many more maple treats. So gather the kids, hop in the car, and make sure to bring your appetites! Here's our list of our top five must-try maple foods!
Maple Sausages
When you order your pancake meal, make sure you ask for the sausages. Staff, volunteers, and visitors alike all agree that the maple sausages aren't an option; they're a necessity to having a true Bronte Creek maple experience. Pro tip: wrap your pancake around your sausage and dip it in your syrup cup. I bet you can't stop at one!
Maple Kettle Corn
A country fair favourite, kettle corn is always a treat, but adding maple syrup to it rockets kettle corn to out of this world. You can find maple kettle corn (and regular kettle corn) at the Jaime's Cracked Corn booth. As a bonus, a portion of all of Jaime's Cracked Corn proceeds fund Friends of Bronte Creek Park projects, such as the maple syrup evaporator!
Fresh Maple Sugar
Step inside the Candy Shanty and discover a little piece of crystallized heaven. While maple sugar from the park store is a sweet treat, you can't beat a fresh, melt-in-your-mouth piece of maple sugar made on the wood-burning stove. Ask the staff wielding the magic wooden spoons for some suggestions on how to incorporate maple sugar into some delicious recipes!
Maple Cotton Candy
Another country fair staple with a maple twist! Jaime's Cracked Corn turns solid maple sugar into wispy clouds of cotton candy. I particularly like this maple treat because it's easy to take home and stash away for an after-dinner dessert... or a pre-dinner appetizer... or a car ride home snack... Honestly, my bag is usually open before I hit the parking lot.
Fresh Maple Taffy
We all know that when it comes to fantastic food experiences, fresh is best. And it doesn't get any fresher than boiling hot syrup poured onto freezing ice right before your eyes. Maple taffy, usually made as a tasty reward at the end of syrup production for all the hard work, is probably Canada's stickiest tradition! Stop by the taffy station at the back of Spruce Lane Farmhouse to experience it for yourself.