My contribution to the December 2025 edition of the Maple Syrup Digest is a review of Maple Syrup: A Short History of Canada’s Sweetest Obsession, the new book by Toronto based journalist, Peter Kuitenbrouwer. The Maple Syrup Digest is the official quarterly publication of the North American Maple Syrup Council.
Kuitenbrouwer’s book takes a look at a various aspects of the place of maple syrup in the history and culture of Canada. With chapters covering such topics as the importance of maple to First Nations peoples, the rise and control of Québec’s maple syrup federation, and of course the ever popular Great Canadian Syrup Heist, the book covers a lot of ground, most notably the events and changes to the industry over the last 30 years.
The book is targeted to a general audience and is decidely not written from the perspective of the academic historian or researcher, although it is sure to interest all types of readers wtih an interest in maple history. In that regard, the narrative is often presented from a kind of first person perspective, recounting the research journey and travels of the author in preparation for writing this book and as part of his past journalistic investigations.
The book was published in October 2025 by Doubleday Canada, an imprint of the publisher Penguin Randomhouse. Copies of the book can by purchased in paper or electronic formats at the Penguin Randomhouse website and at various online outlets like Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
You can read a PDF copy of my review at this link or by clicking on the accomapnying image of the first page of the book review.