The sugar shack ritual
In early spring, as nature slowly emerges from hibernation, the maple water pouring begins. To mark the harvest in style, sugar parties are organized across the province. A privileged moment with family or friends, a trip to the sugar shack is part of Quebec's gourmet and festive traditions, a veritable ritual in which we gorge until we're hungry. All sorts of dishes are cooked in maple syrup, and pancakes are drizzled with it. The thickened syrup, still boiling, is poured over the snow, which turns into a kind of caramel that is rolled onto a stick: this is maple taffy. The occasion is also used to prepare a meal of maple-smoked ham, sausages, meat pies, puffed or baked omelettes, baked beans (baked beans with bacon and molasses), "oreilles de crisse" (toasted chips of very salty bacon), pancakes and sugar pies, all generously drizzled with maple syrup.
There are an impressive number of sugar shacks in Quebec - many of which remain open year-round - most of which are located in the Laurentians, Lanaudière, Montérégie, Centre-du-Québec and Chaudière-Appalaches regions. For a good idea of what a traditional sugar shack is like, La Cabane Arthur Raymond in Piedmont, Sucrerie de la Montagne in Rigaud and Cabane à sucre Chez Dany in Trois-Rivières come highly recommended. For a complete list of sugar shacks in Quebec: cabaneasucre.org
The new kind of cabin
The traditional sugar shack is an integral part of Quebec's culinary landscape. However, a new generation of cabins has been appearing for over a decade, offering a revisited gourmet experience, off the beaten track, in town and in the forest.
First and foremost, gourmet cabins. The movement was launched in 2009 by chef Martin Picard of Montreal's Au Pied de Cochon restaurant. He opened his own sugar shack in the Lower Laurentians, the Cabane à sucre Au Pied de Cochon, with the aim of offering an annual gargantuan feast built around maple products. Others have since followed suit. La Tablée des Pionniers in Mont-Blanc, for example, offers inspired and inspiring cuisine in the form of a table to share, where local produce plays a starring role.
For those whose diet excludes meat, dairy and other animal by-products, sugar shacks have got you covered. In Mont-Tremblant, for example, Cabane à Tuque offers an eco-vegan alternative to the traditional sugar shack. The menu includes vegan cretons, millet and vegetable tourtière, vegetable temp'œuf (homemade tempeh, omelette style), beans with "no bacon" and buckwheat and spelt pancakes with fruit compote. Not enough to make you want to become a carnivore!
Then there are the urban cabanes, because from now on, you don't have to leave the city to gorge on maple specialties. In Montreal, Wellington Avenue hosts the city's biggest sugaring-off party every year: Cabane Panache. These days are decidedly festive and gourmet, with a strong Québécois folklore flavour.
We can't overlook the Aboriginal cabins, whose discovery of maple syrup is attributed to the First Nations. The Maison des peuples autochtones in Mont-Saint-Hilaire is a good example, offering a series of maple-themed dishes featuring First Nations flavours. In short, there's no shortage of options for a different kind of "sweet tooth"!
From the palette to the fork
Maple comes in many forms, from syrup to taffy, butter, sugar, flakes and jelly. Syrup is by far the most popular, and comes in - for those who didn't know - four categories: golden with a delicate taste, amber with a richer taste, dark with a robust taste, and very dark with a pronounced taste. To make sure you don't end up with "post syrup", a poor-quality maple syrup, sometimes even a maple-flavoured substitute, make sure it's 100% pure and marked "Canada Grade A". Maple is also a wonderful ingredient in cooking, enhancing dishes with its unique flavor, whether as an appetizer, main course or dessert. It also warms the heart and taste buds in the form of liqueurs and alcoholic creams, or incorporated into the brewing of certain craft beers.
To see the artisan at work, visit a sugar bush or a producer. Most will explain the process used to convert maple sap into syrup, and show you around their facilities. Domaine Vallier Robert, a member in good standing of the Artisans à l'œuvre network and representative of maple syrup production for alcoholic beverages, is based in Auclair, a small village in the Lower St. Lawrence region. Guided tours and tastings are offered throughout the year. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at their range of maple sap wines, maple syrup and fine products (butters, jellies, sugars, chocolates and candies, goat or bison terrines).
Of course, it would be a shame not to bring back a few sweet souvenirs from your stay in Quebec. The Fédération des producteurs et productrices acéricoles website lists all the maple groves and producers in the province. You'll find plenty of good addresses! And to find out all about maple producers, maple products, points of sale and even a few recipe ideas: erabledici.ca and erableduquebec.ca
