A new multidisciplinary study co-led by anthropologist Lisa Price explores the gastronomic potential of syrup from PNW-native bigleaf maple trees.
Credit: Bureau of Land Management
By Colin Bowyer, Communications Manager - December 9, 2024
The growth of hand-crafted artisanal food products in recent decades is widely recognized as a significant culinary trend by consumers and marketers alike. The trends include the growing emphasis on locally sourced foods, farm to table, sustainable food options, and transparency. Maple syrup made from the Indigenous bigleaf maple trees of the Pacific Northwest (Acer macrophyllum) is a new artisanal food product with potential to grow and make a significant impact in Oregon’s food systems landscape.
A new multidisciplinary study by Lisa Price, professor of anthropology in the School of Language, Culture, and Society, Ann Colonna of OSU’s Food Innovation Center, and Eric Jones of Forests Ecosystems and Society, explores the gastronomic potential of bigleaf maple syrup in restaurants, by working with local chefs in assessing its viability in dishes. This study is part 2 of a larger project devoted to building a sustainable bigleaf maple syrup industry in Oregon.
There are few bigleaf syrup producers, which leads to a lack of awareness of bigleaf maple syrup by culinary professionals, e.g. chefs. An important next step in promotion is to learn how culinary professionals evaluate the qualities and potential uses of a variety of small batch artisanal syrups. This new study focuses on syrup from three small independent producers in Oregon subjected to sensory assessments by 62 chefs at restaurants in the south- and mid-Willamette Valley.
“Bigleaf maple syrup has a flavor profile distinct from the sap of the sugar maple and other native northeast American species,” said Price. “However, because of its small market share, its culinary potential and origins are relatively unknown to Oregonians.”
A majority of pure or blended maple syrup widely sold in grocery stores is derived from the sugar maple (Acer saccharum), which grows prevalently through the northeastern U.S., Midwest, and eastern Canada. Sugar maple procurement and the processing by regional Indigenous tribes of the tree’s sap extends back in time before contact with European settlers in the 16th century.
In the West, however, there is little documentation, written or oral, of Indigenous regional tribes tapping or using bigleaf maple sap. Nonetheless, all western tribes had extensive knowledge of bigleaf maple tree uses. The bark was used to thicken soup, make ropes and baskets, and treat tuberculosis. The large leaves were used for food storage and enhancing flavor, as well as to cover food in cooking pits and to lay fish on while cleaning. Additionally, the tree’s wood was crafted for making cooking utensils, bowls, canoe paddles, and other objects of use and construction. By extension, it is highly probable that tribes had knowledge that the sap of maple trees was edible.
“Because the procurement of sap and processing into syrup occurs during the winter,” said Price, “Eastern Indigenous tribes relied on the sugar maple to provide an important source of calories and nutrients during the harsh winter months. West coast tribes existed in such rich ecosystems with plentiful food sources; they probably saw no use for making syrup, but instead used the bigleaf maple tree for other purposes.”
Price’s new culinary analysis with Colonna and Jones focuses on the sensory and nutritional qualities of bigleaf syrup, increasing culinary awareness and use, and best practices for creating food safe products for markets and consumer confidence.
Overall, the 62 Willamette Valley chefs who tasted syrup from the three small independent Oregon producers noticed a complex flavor profile with flavor attributes including “buttery,” “sweet,” “vanilla,” and “bourbon;” however, the most appealing descriptions of the syrup appeared before a tasting, surprising the researchers. Chefs were most concerned if the product was “locally sourced/produced,” “100% pure,” and “all-natural.”
This study will help producers identify taste and quality profiles that appeal to chefs, opening a market for their product in local, independent restaurants and other professional culinary businesses. Bigleaf maple trees hold a historic cultural significance for the Indigenous peoples of the region. Today, many tribes are seeing a cultural resurgence, while small producers are struggling with aging populations and the consolidation of food production and processing. The resurgence of greater appreciation for bigleaf maple and the emergence of bigleaf maple syrup come at an opportune time. Both tribes and owners of small woodlots can leverage this trend and produce artisan food during the winter when most farm and forest food production in the PNW is dormant.
This focus on locally sourced, artisanal ingredients is an alternative counterpoint to the homogenization of the global food supply. To fully experience the unique taste and culture surrounding bigleaf maple products, consumers must visit the Pacific Northwest.