USDA Maple Syrup Grade Guide
My parents are from Vermont and Maine, so I take maple syrup very seriously. So serious, in fact, that I completely skipped the USDA 2015 revision process because I was still working with the four gallons of Grade B that I bought in 2012. When I couldn’t find more to top up my stash, I panicked and called my father, who calmly explained that Grade B is now called “Grade A dark flavor or Grade A something rich.” Thanks Dad.
Until March 2015, there were four categories of consumer grade maple syrup – Fancy, Medium Amber Grade A, Dark Amber Grade A, and Grade B – plus Grade C, which was only commercially available. The letter classification system does not indicate quality, but color (technically, light transmission) and age: the lightest Fancy syrup made from the first juice of the season; Grades A, medium and dark amber, are next, and so on to grade C, which is used for the last time of the season and has the darkest color. Maple syrup lovers generally agree that full-bodied, full-bodied Maple Grade B is best, while Fancy is for people who confuse letter grades for quality.
The USDA still uses four grades based on skin color and age, but the titles are all silly, wordy “Level A” riffs. They cited confusion with the old grading system as the reason for the change, but I just can’t believe it. The old nomenclature was simpler and made sense; the new one seems to be designed so that everyone gets that “A-class” luxury from maple syrup. Anyway, here’s a rundown of the ratings and their top apps.
Grade A: golden color and delicate taste (formerly Fancy).
Very light in color, body and taste, this one is not my favorite. It’s good for vanilla ice cream or yogurt, but the flavor is so subtle that even those very bland backgrounds can be overwhelming. I hope the syrup they drank at the Super Troopers was Fancy, because honestly this is the only scenario in which I would recommend this strain.
Grade A: amber color and rich flavor (formerly Medium / Dark Amber Grade A)
Medium amber is what I used to recommend to people who couldn’t find Grade B or weren’t quite ready to buy four gallons of it from a specialty food supplier. Even with its new name, this variety is a good option: sweet, full-bodied and full-bodied, but none of them are overly large.
Grade A: dark color and persistent taste (formerly Grade B)
I’ve poured this on pancakes and waffles since I was a kid and I will never, never stop; it’s simply the best maple syrup you can buy. My favorite, less obvious use is apple cider and balsamic vinaigrette mixed with very strong cold coffee and blended with Frank’s butter and Red Hot for a serious blast of Buffalo Wing Sauce.
Grade A: very dark color and strong flavor (formerly grade C)
This is the only maple syrup that I have never tasted and I really want it. I’m not sure if it’s available to the average consumer – I haven’t found it anywhere on the internet – but you can bet that when I find it, I’ll make it mine. Grade C is described as maple molasses, which sounds divine and I’d love to put it in a dark gingerbread cake.
Sugar season is still ahead, at least six months from now, but there is something in the fall that makes me pour maple syrup over everything. For example, I will be mixing something with bourbon, maple syrup and apple cider this weekend. And you?