Discover New England: One Maple Flavor At A Time

Come spring, every state in New England gets busy maple sugaring. And even states with few actual sugar bushes (like Connecticut and Rhode Island) still offer their fair share of products made with New England maple syrup. Just like foliage and flannel, maple flavors are beloved region-wide.

An ingredient that once kept to itself on the breakfast menu, New England maple syrup is now everywhere: maple-boosted meat, veggies, liquor, and spa treatments are gracing menus and product labels. Since maple has been lending its sweet, sweet infusion to a whole slew of things lately, we decided to take a tour of New England through unconventional maple products. We’ll call it: New England through five noshes you didn’t expect to taste maple-y.

Maple Pops Up in Connecticut

What began as just a small-time sugaring operation, Bureau's Sugarhouse Popcorn now uses maple syrup from Connecticut and elsewhere to give their kettle corn that perfect hint of sweet. They still do all the cooking magic in their Old Lyme factory. Take a tour, grab a bag of the addictive crunchy stuff and head out for a stroll along the Connecticut River, or the Long Island

sound, since both gorgeous water bodies abridge the town.

Tree-to-Bottle Maple Whiskey at Sapling Distillery

Based in Brattleboro, Sapling’s craft liquors are all maple-inspired. Their Vermont maple bourbon however, blended with pure Vermont maple syrup tapped in the Green Mountains, will elevate what you expect out of a flavored whiskey. Plus, you can’t leave the state without trying a “Vermont and Stormy” cocktail.

Put Some Maple Mustard in Your Sandwich

Imagine the tang of mustard with the sweetness of maple and you’ve got this mustard made with Maine maple syrup. Why not whip up some turkey sandwiches with maple mustard and take them on the trial at one of Maine’s adventure travel hotels?

Make Your Own Maple Taffy

This two-ingredient recipe for Maple Taffy (courtesy of NH Life magazine) is crazy easy and the results are crazy good. To try it? Get yourself to someplace cold in New Hampshire, like the White Mountain Region. If you get too hyped up on this DIY treat, hit the trail and day-hike one of the Presidential mountain peaks to burn off steam.

Marry Land to the Sea with Maple-Marinated Salmon

Now we couldn’t find one specific restaurant offering maple-marinated salmon, however, we assure you that such a cuisine exists, and we’re sure that you could find the delicacy on the dinner menu somewhere in Boston. Sugar houses like the old-timey Ioka Valley Farm do abound in the Berkshires, however, so there’s no need to get sappy on us. If that’s not enough maple flavors for you, check out these maple-sugaring themed packages from NEIRA members. You might just discover even more wonderful maple-y things you'd never expect. 

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