What's the difference?

     With maple sugaring less than a month away in New England I read with interest an article in the most recent issue of Cuisine at home.  The question was posed, "How is pancake syrup different from maple syrup?"  Here is the response:

     "Pancake syrup -- the sweet, thick concoction made by brands like Mrs. Butterworth's and Aunt Jemima -- is actually mostly corn syrup and artificial maple flavor, and isn't much like pure maple syrup at all.  We don't recommend you use it in place of maple syrup, especially when flavor is an important factor.

     "Maple syrup is made through a process of collecting sap from maple trees, then boiling it until thick and syrupy.  It's graded depending on where it's from, according to color and flavor.  the light amber-colored syrup has molasses-like flavor.

     "Because the process of making pure maple syrup is labor-intensive, it can be quite expensive, but the results of using it are well worth it.  Plus, when stored in the refrigerator, it keeps for up to a year.  it's delicious in place of pancake syrup on pancakes and waffles."

     So as the old saying goes, "Don't be fooled by imitation."