Maple Syrup is a classic Canadian treat that pairs well with just about any breakfast food.
Whether it's a plate of waffles, French toast or pancakes, it's basically mandatory to add pure maple syrup to any of these dishes to sweeten them up and make them taste like perfection.
As a big Costco fan, my go-to for years has been Kirkland Signature Organic Maple Syrup, but there are other brands I've been meaning to try.
Canada produces a lot of maple syrup (85% of the world's maple syrup production as a matter of fact, according to the Government of Canada) and you can get high-quality syrup that's been produced in either Ontario or Quebec at local grocery stores.
After doing a recent taste test of frozen waffles, I figured it was time to try different brands of this Canadian staple to determine which widely-available product tastes best.
After heading to a few grocery stores in Victoria, B.C., I ended up with five different brands of 100% pure maple syrup from Kirkland, Compliments, President's Choice, Our Finest and Decacer. All five of these maple syrups were produced in Canada.
Five different brands of maple syrup.Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
I tested the brands by drinking a spoonful of each one to see which maple syrup tasted the best on its own and ranked them out of five.
Here's how each brand stacked up.
Our Finest Canada A Grade Maple Syrup
Asymina holding a spoonful of Our Finest Maple Syrup.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Price: $7.97 for 375 ml
Price per 100 grams: $2.13
I'm ashamed to admit I had never tried dark maple syrup before and so I picked up a bottle of Our Finest dark syrup at Walmart to see how I like it.
They say the darker the colour of maple syrup, the richer it tastes and I can confirm that is indeed true.
Upon opening the bottle I was surprised by how rich the liquid smelled.
Aside from that, the syrup tasted very intense and had hints of what reminded me of black liquorice, which I do not like.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get past the liquorice-type flavour so this brand did not rank high on the list for me.
According to the website Maple from Canada, very dark syrup is recommended for use in sauces and glazes so that's what I'll be using it for since I do have a lot left!
Rating: 2/5
President's Choice Maple Syrup
Asymina holding a spoonful of President's Choice Maple Syrup.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Price: $5.49 for 200 ml
Price per 100 ml: $2.75
President's Choice Maple Syrup was again a dark maple syrup, but it was more golden in colour compared to Our Finest.
It was still a bit richer than what I'm used to with syrup, but not overpowering like the Walmart brand.
I also liked the hints of caramel and I could see it pairing nicely with a stack of pancakes or in baking recipes.
Rating: 3/5
Compliments Organic Pure Maple Syrup
Asymina holding a spoonful of Compliment's Organic Pure Maple Syrup.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Price: $10.99 for 375 ml
Price per 100 grams: $2.93
Compliment's Organic Pure Maple Syrup is an amber syrup with a rich taste. I love how smooth this syrup is and not overly sweet. I see it as a great addition to waffles or crepes.
This brand is the most expensive at $2.93 per 100 grams so based on that I probably won't be repurchasing it on a regular basis.
Rating: 4/5
Kirkland Signature Organic Maple Syrup
Asymina holding a spoonful of Kirkland Signature Organic Pure Maple Syrup.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Price: $18.99 for 1 litre
Price per 100 ml: $1.90
As mentioned above, Kirkland Signature Organic Maple Syrup has been a go-to of mine because it tastes great and at $1.90 per 100 ml, it is the most affordable.
This maple syrup is so smooth and more subtle in flavour when compared to some of the other brands, despite what you may think just by looking at the darker brown colour.
It's great in a variety of dishes as well and I've been using it on breakfast foods, in baking and in vinaigrettes.
Since it is sold at Costco, it does come in a big bottle and if you don't use maple syrup often then this brand might not be for you.
Rating: 4.5/5
Decacer Pure Maple Syrup
Asymina holding a spoonful of Decacer maple syrup. Right: A can of Decacer Pure Maple Syrup.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Price: $10.97 for 540 ml
Price per 100 ml: $2.03
I had never tried Decacer Maple Syrup before, and boy, have I been missing out.
There's just something about maple syrup in a can that makes it seem more authentic and the taste was beyond what I expected.
The liquid gold went down smoothly and reminded me of a caramel-like candy.
It was honestly delicious on its own and I can't wait to try it on a variety of dishes.
Rating: 5/5
Pure maple syrup is so much better than table syrup and it really is worth paying the extra bucks for the real deal.
My taste test revealed to me that I had been missing out on a lot of brands sold in Canada, and there were several varieties I had never tried before.
While I'll still be buying the Kirkland syrup I've been buying for years, I'll also be repurchasing the Decacer maple syrup sold at Walmart and will be watching for Compliment's maple syrup to go on sale.
In terms of consistency, all five brands were similar in that they weren't too thick.
If you're looking for the perfect pairing with maple syrup, I recently ranked five different brands of frozen waffles from Canadian grocery stores and was surprised by the outcome.
After my two taste tests I took the best maple syrup on this list (Decacer) and paired it with my top choice of frozen waffles for the most delicious treat.
If you want to elevate a meal of pancakes or waffles with maple syrup, you could add a side of bacon for a delicious salty crunch.
I recently also tried different store brands of bacon in case you're wondering which one is the best.
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
Courtesy of Fred Thornhill
Five different brands of maple syrup.Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
