The Type Of Maple Syrup You Should Be Using For French Toast
If you're a food lover, you can probably appreciate a good quality maple syrup. Used as an ice cream topping, a sweet element to a homemade salad dressing, or even as a marinade for that holiday roast, maple syrup has a plethora of uses, and no one can argue with the deliciousness of the amber liquid when drizzled on a breakfast classic like French toast.
While Americans tend to prefer the fake versions of maple syrup loaded with high fructose corn syrup and caramel color, a lot of that preference seems to boil down to the cost difference between the real deal and its subpar counterparts. If cost wasn't an issue, pure maple syrup very well would be the winner due to its unmatched flavor.
That being said, understanding the grade levels of maple syrup and what they actually mean can help when choosing the right product for your intended use. In 2015, the USDA changed the descriptive labels for the different grades of maple syrup you can buy, essentially doing away with the "grade B" label and grouping all the levels into "grade A" (per U.S. News). If you're used to the old system of things you may wonder where the grade B thick and rich syrup went. It's still very much here, now under a Grade A variant labeled "dark color and robust flavor" (via New England Today).
You may wonder which syrup to use when planning to make a favorite breakfast staple, such as French toast, and we've got you covered.
Darker, thicker syrup for the win
Prepared with a better understanding of the different grades of this tasty condiment, you can decide for yourself what type of flavor you want atop your tower of egg-encrusted bread. According to Cooking Light, however, nothing compares to the darker thick syrup when you want that maple flavor to stand out. While the syrup may not be labeled, "Very Dark with a Strong Taste," as opposed to a grade a or grade b, it's still the preferred choice for your morning meal.
Chefs tend to agree that for cooking purposes, you should opt for maple syrup with a richer, thicker pour. Head chef Brian Rowe of "Magnolia's on King" in Alexandria Virginia, advises people to always opt for the darker syrup when it comes to cooking (via Men's Journal). He goes on to explain you don't need to use much in your dishes to achieve that rich maple flavor but you want to be able to recognize the maple profile.
Of course, all of this is up to you and your taste preferences. And as long as you're storing your syrup properly, you will be able to enjoy that sweet maple goodness every time you open the bottle, whichever version you choose.