LONGUEUIL, QC, Feb. 27, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Maple from Québec had celebration in its heart last night at the traditional gourmet event that kicks off the maple season each year. Some 80 distinguished guests including members of the food media, our Maple Ambassadors, and well-known personalities partook of the pleasures, flavours, and memories of this great Québec product in a wonderfully creative menu. The Wilder Building in Montréal was the setting for "Maple: A Source of Joy" hosted by epicure Christian Bégin. The festivities reached a high note with a performance by boys' choir Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal (PCMR).
"Maple is the pride of Québec, a natural treasure known around the world for its unique flavour and remarkable versatility. It's been a part of our story for generations and means so much to so many, things like tradition, sharing, friendship, togetherness," explained Mylène Denicolaï, Director of Promotions and Market Development for Québec Maple Syrup Producers. "Simply put, it makes us happy. Most of us have known it since we were kids and sometimes, as we grow older, we perhaps forget what a simple pleasure it is to enjoy that wonderful taste and enjoy sharing it with family and friends. That's what the Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal did for us tonight, taking us back to all those beautiful memories of childhood in Québec… when a simple taste of maple brought us such joy."
Today a connoisseur of fine food, Christian Bégin recalls what maple meant to him in boyhood: "I remember hopping up and down, watching a lady pour taffy from a little pail onto the snow. It was like molten gold hitting the cold, crystallizing on the spot. All of us kids were armed and ready with our popsicle sticks. But panic strikes: there are too many of us… there'll never be enough for everybody! And so… we must go to war. In this war, though, the only casualties are our parents, trying to settle us down from the sugar rush. And what a sugar. It's the best, and it tastes like US! Maple is full of so many happy memories. It's yesterday and today all rolled into one. A golden caramel treasure that I'll never tire of."
The Culinary Creativity of Maple: A Gourmet Feast!
Québec Maple and its wide range of superb qualities inspired three of our Maple Culinary Ambassadors—Chefs Olivier Perret, Marc-André Royal and Jean-Claude Chartrand—to create a menu worthy of the greatest feast, taking full advantage of the exceptional characteristics of maple syrup and its derivatives:
- A two-course starter: maple red-lentil soup with a quenelle of ricotta, pistachios and fresh herbs, followed by an Albacore tuna tataki with a maple-miso emulsion, leeks, wild rice soufflé, and trout caviar
- The main course: a pithivier of quail, shiitake mushrooms, maple and foie gras, and a Charles-Aimé Robert sauce
- And dessert by Sœur Angèle and Dansereau Traiteur: a reinvented maple pie with convent rosettes.
"The Maple Culinary Ambassadors once again demonstrated their mastery of our natural sugar and its exceptional and versatile products, with an exquisitely creative menu. I applaud their talents and thank them for showing so beautifully what maple can do," said Québec Maple Syrup Producers President Serge Beaulieu.
"11,300 Québec maple producers work hard every year to make the best maple syrup in the world. Initiatives like the Maple Festival highlight the fact that their expertise results in the export of Québec syrup to some 60 countries."
Maple has More Surprises for You
As it is exported around the world, Québec maple syrup is well-known and well-loved but there's more to know. In fact, it is the subject of much scientific research. The roots of the maple tree plunge deep into our soil, drawing out a wealth of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, organic acids, polyphenols). This is what distinguishes Québec maple from other sugars. Researchers have identified 67 different polyphenols in pure Québec maple syrup, and many more studies are underway to analyze their health benefits.
100% pure and natural Québec maple is unlike other sugars not only for its nutritional characteristics but for its versatility and, certainly, its unique taste.
Maple improves the flavour of food so it's applicable in all sorts of recipes for dishes from starters to desserts. And it's available in a wide range of fine products, all with their own unique flavours and textures. "Add joy to your day by making maple your favourite ingredient. Use it in different ways and explore its many incarnations such as butter, taffy, hard sugar, flakes, seasonings, spirits, liqueurs, and maple water," urged Ms. Denicolaï.
Get more information on Québec maple by going to our website maplefromquebec.ca and our social media communities on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest (@erableduquebec) or join the conversation with hashtags #erableduquebec and #incroyableerable.
About Québec Maple Syrup Producers and the Maple from Québec brand
The mission of Québec Maple Syrup Producers (QMSP) is to promote the interests of Québec's maple producers and to develop the production and sales of Québec maple products to their full potential while respecting the principles of sustainable development. The organization represents some 11,300 producers and 7,400 businesses whose quality of work enables Québec to account for an average of 72% of the world's maple syrup on an annual basis.
QMSP proudly supports the Maple from Québec brand and coordinates the international marketing and promotional efforts for maple products on behalf of Canada's maple industry. QMSP also leads and directs the International Maple Research and Innovation Network.
SOURCE Producteurs et productrices acéricoles du Québec
Source: Danielle Pépin, Québec Maple Syrup Producers, 514 386-9901, [email protected]; Interviews and Information: Valérie Lavoie, Massy Forget Langlois Public Relations, 514 842-2455, ext. 21, [email protected]
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