Comments on: IHOP Serves Real Maple Syrup -- Only in Vermont

IHOP Serves Real Maple Syrup -- Only in Vermont

ericb — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:54:17 -0800

In the past many folk rightfully pointed out that IHOP (International House of Pancakes) didn't have a restaurant in Vermont. Times have been a changin.' Last month, Vermont became the 50^th and final state to welcome an IHOP. And, being in Vermont, "old fashioned corn syrup," masquerading as true maple syrup didn't make the grade. "The IHOP here is the only one of about 1,400 in the United States, Canada and Mexico to serve real maple syrup." The managers got permission from the company "with a special dispensation" to serve the real stuff.

"The 'real stuff' comes in a container on the side and costs diners an extra 99 cents. The restaurant buys it from Sugarman of Vermont, a confectionery in Hardwick, and sells about 180 containers a week. It is not yet listed on the menu, but news has spread by word of mouth."

By: hippybear

hippybear — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:00:29 -0800

The price of maple syrup recently skyrocketed, at least at places I usually get it here in Washington State. Even at Costco, which should have decent economy of scale, went from ~$10 for 64 oz to ~$20 for 32 oz. That's, um... a four-fold increase in price? It has certainly put a damper on our weekend breakfasts...

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:07:19 -0800

Heaven help the poor IHOP manager who, in an attempt to boost profits, tries to pass off corn syrup as the real deal. Vermonters would be wise to such syruptitious behavior.

By: lattiboy

lattiboy — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:08:12 -0800

Jesus! They've got IHOP in Mexico?!?!?! Do they just serve you diarrhea?

By: sexyrobot

sexyrobot — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:20:16 -0800

REAL maple syrup at IHOP? BLASPHEMY!

By: the aloha

the aloha — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:25:38 -0800

In 2008, Julia Stewart, the chief executive officer of DineEquity Inc., the company that owns both IHOP and Applebee's, told the New York Times that her restaurants didn't offer maple syrup because "most people find it way over the top." most people must think i am extreme about my pancakes. i need the real stuff to get me going. like hippybear, i do not care for the price increaes, but i am willing to pay for what others might call an addiction.

By: pracowity

pracowity — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:26:08 -0800

The 'real stuff' comes in a container on the side and costs diners an extra 99 cents. Why don't they do that at all their restaurants? Is it only Vermonters who are not too cheap to pay for real maple syrup? By the way: I like pancakes. Do you like pancakes?

By: ob

ob — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:31:41 -0800

Being a European, when I came to the US I didn't know why Americans ate Pancakes with Maple Syrup for breakfast. That was until I tried Maple Syrup and realised that it wasn't really about the pancakes.

By: Bernt Pancreas

Bernt Pancreas — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:32:41 -0800

In 2008, Julia Stewart, the chief executive officer of DineEquity Inc., the company that owns both IHOP and Applebee's, told the New York Times that her restaurants didn't offer maple syrup because "most people find it way over the top." Maybe they should call the Vermont outlets IHOP Extreme!!!! These ain't your Daddy's pancakes. if your Daddy eats exclusively at IHOP.

By: BrotherCaine

BrotherCaine — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:32:57 -0800

Ever since they took buckwheat pancakes off the menu, IHOP has been dead to me. That's, um... a four-fold increase in price? Maple syrup is exploding in International popularity, and the last two seasons were short.

By: ericb

ericb — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:37:03 -0800

Why don't they do that at all their restaurants? Is it only Vermonters who are not too cheap to pay for real maple syrup?

"Nowhere on the tables can one find maple syrup. In 2008, Julia Stewart, the chief executive officer of DineEquity Inc., the company that owns both IHOP and Applebee's, told the New York Times that her restaurants didn't offer maple syrup because 'most people find it way over the top.' ...The [Vermont IHOP franchisee]'s request for permission to use maple syrup is a rare one, said Dan Ischy, IHOP spokesman. Because the IHOP-flavored syrups are much cheaper for franchisees, restaurant owners tend to stick with those, Ischy said. Ischy has never tasted maple syrup, he said, but he's looking forward to trying it when he comes to Vermont in a month for the restaurant's grand opening."*

By: MiltonRandKalman

MiltonRandKalman — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:37:27 -0800

Do you like pancakes? over bunny with a side of bacon

By: The Card Cheat

The Card Cheat — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:42:00 -0800

> That was until I tried Maple Syrup and realised that it wasn't really about the pancakes. When my wife's not around I cut out the middleman and sip it straight from the jar.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:42:18 -0800

You know, when typing my comment above, I instinctively went first with this: iHop. I think there's too much Apple in my life.

By: the aloha

the aloha — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:44:16 -0800

not the best of the web... sorry. This aint. well, that's not a very sentimental thing to say in what promises to be a syrupy discussion.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:48:35 -0800

I'm just glad my blood doesn't taste sugary and delicious. really, it doesn't. please do not try to tap my blood and put it on your breakfast foods.

By: strixus

strixus — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:52:36 -0800

Really, I do think it is because most Americans have never had REAL maple syrup. They grew up with the artificial flavored crap, made from corn, and just don't know any better. I also believe this is why no one seems to appreciate dark honey or brown sugar cubes in this dietary hell hole I live in. Dear Europe - Please Send Brown Sugar Cubes. PLEASE.

By: ryanrs

ryanrs — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:53:52 -0800

In other news, birch syrup season has started.

By: CrazyLemonade

CrazyLemonade — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:02:41 -0800

Jesus! They've got IHOP in Mexico?!?!?! Do they just serve you diarrhea? I don't get it. Is this an insult for IHOP's food or for Mexican food?

By: hippybear

hippybear — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:05:06 -0800

Really, I do think it is because most Americans have never had REAL maple syrup. *gah* My mother would make some kind of "something" involving brown sugar, white sugar and maple flavoring which she would pass off as maple syrup. (She is a child of the Depression, so I don't fault her.) All the while, one of her favorite treats as a gift was a box of maple sugar candy. It wasn't until I had moved out of her house and started purchasing for myself that I learned the true difference between real syrup and what I'd had foisted on me all my years up to that point. I weep for those who remain uneducated in this matter. It's like the difference between mono and stereo, or between stereo and 5.1 surround sound. Only for your taste buds.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:06:09 -0800

> I don't get it. Is this an insult for IHOP's food or for Mexican food? Yeah, that was kind of sketchy. Real Mexican food is pretty darn good with lots of fresh vegetables. Taco Bell-esque and Tex-Mex derivative is simply hegemony.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:07:26 -0800

It's like the difference between mono and stereo... I don't think that's fair to mono, actually. Some music sounds really good in mono. But fake maple syrup, that just ain't good. Period.

By: christhelongtimelurker

christhelongtimelurker — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:09:51 -0800

You can totally get Mexican omelettes at IHOP offmenu! FWIW. Best of both diarrheal worlds! I need to stay thin, pretty and young you know.

By: hippybear

hippybear — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:10:23 -0800

But fake maple syrup, that just ain't good. Period. posted by flapjax at midnite at 11:07 PM Almost timestamp eponysterical.

By: BrotherCaine

BrotherCaine — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:12:49 -0800

Don't forget to try french toast, cornmeal pancakes, sourdough pancakes, and country sausage links as maple syrup delivery vehicles.

By: BrotherCaine

BrotherCaine — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:14:31 -0800

Almost timestamp eponysterical. PDTZONE!

By: hippybear

hippybear — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:20:17 -0800

BrotherCaine: You know it!

By: lattiboy

lattiboy — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:51:38 -0800

I don't get it. Is this an insult for IHOP's food or for Mexican food? It's nothing to do with Mexican food (which I love to no end), it's the very idea of a place like IHOP (which is usually a bit sketchy w/r/t hygiene in the US) somewhere in or around Tijuana.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:53:09 -0800

That is pretty damn scary, actually.

By: Goofyy

Goofyy — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:06:00 -0800

I adore pancakes. I have not noticed an increase in syrup price, in Switzerland. I don't eat fake syrup, and won't go without my pancakes, except when I make Belgian waffles, then I can live without syrup (although maple syrup does them justice, just not as much justice as strawberries and whipped cream). Oh, just a caveat: With Belgian ("Brussels", actually) waffles, the iron is extremely important. I just got a real Brussels iron this year, and am blown away. (and an old recipe from my Belgian mother-in-law. YUM! You are most unlikely to find anything this good in a restaurant, anywhere.) A colleague of my partner is from Canada, and wanted to bring us some new syrup. Alas, the vendors were too stupid to offer it in some easy-to-fly container. Anyone knowing a good source for ordering maple syrup for international shipment, please let me know. Years ago, I discovered that using real maple instead of the fake stuff left me feeling better after pancakes. I don't get the sugar overdose feeling from real syrup. I have been known to take my own syrup to restaurants, when going out to breakfast. One of the things I dislike the most about living in Europe is the absence of American-style breakfast in restaurants. I love having a bit of everything (or a lot of everything) with someone else doing the work!

By: ronin21

ronin21 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:21:23 -0800

A business calling itself a "House of Pancakes" that has to be armtwisted to offer REAL maple syrup? Which its chief exec considers "way over the top"? (The top of what? No heights there, lady.) And its pancake spokesman HAS NEVER EVEN TASTED MAPLE SYRUP? Let me run outside a minute and check what planet I'm on... This basement attitude toward excellence and quality is even now undoing the USA...

By: stupidsexyFlanders

stupidsexyFlanders — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:42:12 -0800

Goofyy - check your memail

By: louche mustachio

louche mustachio — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:39:44 -0800

By the way: I like pancakes. Do you like pancakes? I FUCKING LOVE PANCAKES. I make hella pancakes. Aaaaand I just got some family-home-made syrup from upstate NY. And you are JEALOUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Jealous. So jealous.

By: rhymer

rhymer — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:42:20 -0800

What I like most about IHOP is the word "International" which long predates its minor foreign ventures. If it was just called the House of Pancakes, that would be a fine, straightforward description, but the "International" adds that special Eisenhower-era something. Side issue. As a Brit, I normally eat what Yanks call crepes on our Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday), but I do appreciate that the combination of salty bacon, sweet syrup and pancake is one of America's outstanding contributions to global cuisine.

By: From Bklyn

From Bklyn — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:15:06 -0800

Bacon/sausage + maple syrup = urrrrrrrrrrrr. *shivers and drools* After eating pancakes with some corn-syrup-derivative, the next great sin is heating the maple syrup. My wife thinks she likes this and it's a tense tense moment every time it comes up.

By: explosion

explosion — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:29:09 -0800

Do you like pancakes? Do you like waffles? But seriously, it just seems tragic that the guy in charge of pancakes at IHOP has never even had maple syrup. I imagine he's going to have some sort of epiphany that sweeps through the company, and the loosely-kept secret of how good maple syrup is will be spread. One day, "worth its weight in maple syrup" will be the new phrase, and people will wonder why they ever wanted a "gold standard" in the first place.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:32:23 -0800

...the next great sin is heating the maple syrup. Uu-uh. I'm assuming that you're starting with cold syrup outta the fridge, right? Well, putting only as much maple syrup as you expect to be using into a pyrex cup, then putting that into a pan of water and and gently heating it up a bit like that on the stove is the way to go. That way, your nice hot pancakes don't cool off when you pour cold syrup over 'em. I also recommend heating the plates (in the winter, anyway) with the water from the pan. That helps keep your cakes nice and warm, too. Hey, take it from me, man. I'm flapjax at midnite.

By: Lentrohamsanin

Lentrohamsanin — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:03:29 -0800

Oh please god please let this not be the start of a tiresome maple syrup meme oh please oh please oh please

By: paddbear

paddbear — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:05:19 -0800

Oh gee--thanks a lot for posting this. It's hard enough to get a table there now without waiting an hour. Now we'll have flatlanders clogging the place!

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:07:08 -0800

the next great sin is heating the maple syrup. I take it you've never experienced maple-sugar snow. But then, I guess if I lived in Brooklyn, I wouldn't put the snow in my mouth, either.

By: From Bklyn

From Bklyn — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:18:41 -0800

I take it you've never experienced maple-sugar snow. Maple-sugar snow? I don't think so. When I was a kid we'd go to parties at the sugar-shack of one of our neighbors (this was in Quebec) and they'd put a big board outside, cover it with snow, and then pour hot maple syrup onto the snow. You'd get a stick and stick it to the maple syrup which was like a sticky sugary maple syrup taffy popsicle type thing. It was pretty A OK. And about the heating thing try it yourself: when cold, maple syrup has a 'tighter'/more concentrated flavor. Heat it up too much and it is just not as complex. I will accept that there is a middle between warming it up from too cold to room temp., but beyond that, heating it up so that it's noticeably warm? I just can't agree.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:28:39 -0800

Yeah, actually, pretty much room temp is what I'm talking, FB.

By: 1adam12

1adam12 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:33:36 -0800

I don't know what's more pathetic - that the spokesman has never tasted real maple syrup, or that he will look directly into a reporter's eyes and tell her that he still prefers the fake stuff after finally trying the real deal. If there's still a person in there, he'll shed a single tear while he says it.

By: booksherpa

booksherpa — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:41:44 -0800

The real question is why anyone who is within driving distance of Penny Cluse would choose IHOP to begin with . . .

By: orme

orme — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:25:56 -0800

IHOP first opened in the late 50s. Are you telling me that even that far back they didn't use real maple syrup? Wasn't there some point in their history when they used the good stuff? I remember in the late 70s/early 80s they already had the (delicious to my kid mind) array of blueberry, strawberry and whatever else syrups.

By: paddbear

paddbear — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:44:20 -0800

Penny Cluse? Where they take perfectly good ethnic recipes and Trustifarian them up with freerange organic tofu? They're expensive and overrated.

By: Spatch

Spatch — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:08:44 -0800

There are those in parts of this country which use straight-up Karo syrup on their pancakes. There are those who grew up in a region where you couldn't get real Vermont maple syrup on a regular or inexpensive basis, and grew up with the taste of the Old-Fashioned Mrs. Jemima Cabin stuff (though honestly I find myself automatically leery of any product which is dispensed from the top of a matronly lady's head.) And there are those who grew up in a small town with several sugarhouses, for whom March was a wonderful month because it meant running around maple groves helping collect sap from the buckets and then watching it all boil down in humongous vats and waiting to get a taste of the stuff at the earliest moment possible without scalding your taste buds, always poured from the tap into little pleated paper cups. I dated a girl from California who was brought up on the fake stuff. She couldn't stand the taste of real maple syrup. It was that alien a taste to her. I could accept this, because honestly, in situations where there is no real syrup to be had, I'll use the fake stuff (I still draw the line at Mrs. Butterworth's innards, though.) And to be honest, that fake taste is part of the experience at a Denny's or an IHOP or any other greasy spoon for me. The taste of real maple syrup is part of the experience at a rural sugarhouse or at home. I like both, but do prefer the real stuff when I have a choice.

By: bookish

bookish — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:17:47 -0800

This is a great excuse to link to this sublimely trippy IHOP commercial from 1969.

By: lyam

lyam — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:35:14 -0800

I hate pancakes. Too heavy. Too thick. I love crepes, though! OMG I love crepes.

By: JoanArkham

JoanArkham — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:50:17 -0800

I grew up on the fake stuff (and often light fake stuff at that) but am now a complete maple snob. I have very seriously considered sneaking a flask of the good stuff when we go out to breakfast, a la Seinfeld. I would absolutely pay an extra buck for real maple syrup.

By: bonehead

bonehead — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:54:13 -0800

please let this not be the start of a tiresome maple syrup meme You know what else goes really well with maple syrup?

By: schyler523

schyler523 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:55:54 -0800

My 1st grade science project was making maple syrup from trees where I grew up. I did almost everything from the tapping to the boiling down (with adult supervision of course.) If a restaurant doesn't have real maple syrup I won't get anything requiring syrup. I know it sounds snobbish, but I can't eat that corn syrup shit.

By: briank

briank — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:58:07 -0800

This entire thread is prima facie evidence of why I love living in New England. Every March I am able to go directly to a sugaring house somewhere in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, or even Massachusetts, and buy a big ol' jug of Grade B maple syrup made right there on the premises (Grade B is the darker version that usually isn't sold in stores but which has a deeper flavor than Grade A). We probably make pancakes or waffles for Sunday breakfast once a month, and never use anything but locally-made maple syrup. We do go to a nearby IHOP once in a while, but I usually have an omelet so that I don't have to have pancakes with high-fructose corn syrup. Similarly, I don't understand New Englanders who eat at Red Lobster. I'm sure the Vermont IHOP will mostly draw all the goddamned New Yorkers who drive up on the weekends and are glad to see that "civilization" has finally reached the Green Mountain State.

By: schyler523

schyler523 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:58:48 -0800

Also, due to decades/centuries of fire suppression the forests of much of the Eastern US are becoming more mesic and maples are slowly becoming one of the dominant species. This is good for syrup lovers in theory.

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:03:29 -0800

Do you like pancakes? Do you like waffles? Do you like gladiator movies?

By: lukemeister

lukemeister — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:05:14 -0800

IHOP is in Canada too. It should be called the NAFTA House of Pancakes.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:10:07 -0800

Hint: Grade B maple syrup has more maple flavor so you need less of it to get the same impact ie. it's cheaper and better. Sort of like the Greenland/Iceland naming thing, I believe Grade A/B is a trick pulled by the maple industry. "Let's call our watery stuff 'Grade A' and charge more for it!"

By: filthy light thief

filthy light thief — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:23:52 -0800

I've always thought the "international" part of IHOP came from the "international" variety of pancakes they had. See, anyone in the US can serve you pancakes, but what about German pancakes? Or French pancakes? So what if they just added some vaguely "German" or "French" toppings, it's still more international than plain old syrup. (And for the record: pancakes are best with real maple syrup and apple sauce. Maybe it was a ploy by my mother to make breakfast more healthy, but applesauce really does go well on pancakes with syrup. Keep your butter-like products away from my flapjacks!)

By: double block and bleed

double block and bleed — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:33:57 -0800

I see that the cool du jour in this thread is maple syrup. Maple syrup is wonderful, but I actually prefer IHOP's butter pecan syrup when I'm eating at IHOP. We're not talking about having brunch with the queen here, we're talking about a full stack at IHOP. You don't take a bottle of dijon mustard to a baseball game for your hot dog, do you? Also, if IHOP started offering maple syrup nationwide, I could easily see the price of maple syrup skyrocketing.

By: CrazyLemonade

CrazyLemonade — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:41:45 -0800

It's nothing to do with Mexican food (which I love to no end), it's the very idea of a place like IHOP (which is usually a bit sketchy w/r/t hygiene in the US) somewhere in or around Tijuana. Yeah, ehm, there's a lot of Mexico going on beyond Tijuana, FYI. Same reason I tend to avoid IHOPs in the US, example: IHOP in Mcallen (bordertown). On the other hand, the IHOP in my hometown is pretty darn good for a chain restaurant: IHOP in Monterrey. Also, I just discovered they've started selling real maple syrup in the supermarket I go to. I guess it's time to try it because I brought some back from Canada a few years ago and I never even opened it.

By: The Devil Tesla

The Devil Tesla — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:45:06 -0800

I've always thought the "international" part of IHOP came from the "international" variety of pancakes they had. I've always thought the international part was a joke :p.

By: lukemeister

lukemeister — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:51:22 -0800

Now that I think of it, it's more like the Naff House of Pancakes.

By: Monday, stony Monday

Monday, stony Monday — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:56:26 -0800

Aaaaand I just got some family-home-made syrup from upstate NY. And you are JEALOUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. I have family-home-made maple butter. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. And the great thing about going to a family sugar shack: drinking réduit, the intermediate stage between sweet water and syrup. Hmmm-hmm.

By: msconduct

msconduct — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:14 -0800

ihop is the BEST at 2 am after the bars close and no place else is open and you're 21 years old and you need something to sop up all that alcohol in the body. maple syrup is completely extraneous in that scenario, no matter what state/country/planet you happen to inhabit.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:06:01 -0800

Look in front of you now. Do you have a waffle?

By: iminurmefi

iminurmefi — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:07:59 -0800

Don't forget to try french toast, cornmeal pancakes, sourdough pancakes, and country sausage links as maple syrup delivery vehicles. Oh man, the lack of sourdough pancakes in DC is the single worst aspect of the city. It's shameful. I mean, you can get okay sourdough bread (good enough to satisfy me, even if it's not the best ever), but I have yet to find a place that serves sourdough pancakes. Regular pancakes are a heavy, bready mess. Sourdough pancakes are complex, tangy perfection. Sigh. Now you've made me hungry and sad. I WANT SOURDOUGH PANCAKES AND MAPLE SYRUP, PLEASE.

By: cereselle

cereselle — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:09:07 -0800

(Grade B is the darker version that usually isn't sold in stores but which has a deeper flavor than Grade A). I must have this.

By: Halloween Jack

Halloween Jack — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:11:07 -0800

I can't really defend either IHOP's food or its service--I've been pretty underwhelmed by both the last couple of times that I've been there--but I'll always appreciate them for being the place that I had my first cup of coffee, as an accompaniment to chocolate chip pancakes, when I was a senior in high school back in '81. It went a lot better than losing my cherry, tell you what.

By: JoanArkham

JoanArkham — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:14:10 -0800

You don't take a bottle of dijon mustard to a baseball game for your hot dog, do you? Yes, I would totally do this. Sweet-hot mustard, actually. I may have a condiment problem.

By: fiercecupcake

fiercecupcake — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:21:35 -0800

There are people who have never tasted actual maple syrup? And one of them has a job with IHOP? How can this be? I won't eat artificial "maple" syrup. It's just not worth it.

By: Jumpin Jack Flash

Jumpin Jack Flash — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:26:45 -0800

Somewhat on topic. I like the real maple sugar candy, also.

By: Zambrano

Zambrano — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:37:59 -0800

So what. The way America does food, I'm sure by now IHOP has managed to create a cheaper, fake pancake batter.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:55:18 -0800

> I'm sure by now IHOP has managed to create a cheaper, fake pancake batter. Shh. Don't tell everyone about the Biltongs.

By: bitter-girl.com

bitter-girl.com — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:04:25 -0800

When I lived in Boston, my hockey-playing, maple-syrup-loving Vermonter roommate would bring gallons of real, homemade, grade B tastytasty back from home once a year. Gallons. It was glorious. I go to IHOP with my boyfriend and watch him perform what I call "the carnival of corn syrup" (each section of pancake gets a different syrup) and just shudder. If you want pure maplejoy, do pancakes with real syrup and then those maple flavored breakfast sausages. MAPLEOVERLOAD! Amusingly, I hate other "maple flavored" things, but real syrup and those stupid sausages = joy!

By: caddis

caddis — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:04:29 -0800

Dan Ischy, IHOP spokesman....Ischy has never tasted maple syrup, he said, but he's looking forward to trying it when he comes to Vermont in a month for the restaurant's grand opening."* Jeezum! You sell pancakes for a living and you have never even tried maple syrup? That is just so sad. One of the finer uses for maple syrup is corn bread. Pour a generous layer into the bottom of the pan prior to adding the batter, and of course don't forget to add copious amounts of diced fresh Jalapenos into the batter.

By: anthill

anthill — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:13:40 -0800

The reason for "Grade A" maple syrup having no flavor dates back to before the days of cheap cane sugar and even cheaper HF corn syrup. Back then, maple sugar was competing with beet sugar and others for a spot in every day cooking. The highest grade of sugar was then the one that had the least maple flavor to tarnish your snow white pastries. Here in Canada, I think the maple syrup grades are AAA, A, B, and Amber. The later in the season, the darker and more mapl-y the sap. This year's Amber is definitely ready by now, best of luck in finding some!

By: lysdexic

lysdexic — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:15:20 -0800

I've only ever given my kids true maple syrup. They may have had the artificial stuff at daycare. I don't want to know. Being kids of course, they also want honey. The feta cheese? Not so much. Oh please god please let this not be the start of a tiresome maple syrup meme oh please oh please oh please Christe, what a crepe.

By: Brandon Blatcher

Brandon Blatcher — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:56:24 -0800

By the way: I like pancakes. Do you like pancakes? Not much for syrup, prefer'em with jam, but yeah, I'd hit.

By: dirtynumbangelboy

dirtynumbangelboy — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:00:16 -0800

Ischy has never tasted maple syrup WHAT THE FUCK DUDE

By: merelyglib

merelyglib — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:08:26 -0800

South Burlington doesn't count.

By: Monday, stony Monday

Monday, stony Monday — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:17:56 -0800

For those curious about classification: the classification page of the FPAQ. Vermont may be the larger producer in the US, but Quebec is responsible for 71% of the world's production /got huge blisters one year cleaning the pipes in a grove.

By: anthill

anthill — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:06:28 -0800

Thank you MSM, that's the ticket. No. 3 all the way: "must contain traces of caramel, plant bud or sap flavours". Mmmm.

By: ob

ob — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:45:17 -0800

Do you know what's better than maple syrup? More maple syrup.

By: cybercoitus interruptus

cybercoitus interruptus — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:49:08 -0800

One time I slept over at the home of a childhood friend and in the morning, the family passed around what they all called "maple syrup" to go on the pancakes. It took a few exchanges for a bewildered me to work out that they knew perfectly well it wasn't real maple syrup but they just preferred calling it that. Like calling it what it was, "corn syrup," just wouldn't go with the Pancake Breakfast Experience. Or maybe, this being Canada, they were giving a nod to our heritage? Who knows. When I went home I asked Mom to buy corn syrup, thinking that maybe I'd like it if I gave it more of a chance. But nah. It was just sweetness without much flavour. I offered my friend real maple syrup and upon tasting it she made a disgusted face. People's tastebuds do get wedded to categorizing certain things as the "right" flavour. Hat tip to Goofyy for his fabulous pancake recipe, through which I've discovered all sorts of fun variations on "pancake."

By: Vindaloo

Vindaloo — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:03:34 -0800

What I don't understand is why people like IHOP. Have they never had good pancakes before? Do they just eat the stuff because they don't know any better? Pancakes are ridiculously easy to make, and taste 1784 times better homemade. The ones at IHOP are so bland, no wonder people smother them in syrup. And btw, any syrup that isn't Maple Syrup is called "post syrup" in Quebec. As in you put the spigot in a post and served what came out.

By: Monday, stony Monday

Monday, stony Monday — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:19:03 -0800

And now they're talking about birch syrup; I hear they make that in Abitibi (where they don't have maple), but I've never tasted it.

By: knowles

knowles — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:48:29 -0800

I used to work at IHOP. Little known fact: IHOP stands for "I hate old people".

By: wildcrdj

wildcrdj — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:59:23 -0800

What I don't understand is why people like IHOP. Have they never had good pancakes before? Do they just eat the stuff because they don't know any better? Pancakes are ridiculously easy to make, and taste 1784 times better homemade. Most people I know would rather have someone else cook their pancakes at 3am after spending all night at a bar. This is also the main circumstance under which people I know go to IHOP...

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:49:09 -0800

Birch syrup: yuck. It'd be a taste one has to develop. Maple syrup: I wish to die in a vat of maple syrup.

By: Jade Dragon

Jade Dragon — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:41:03 -0800

Many years ago, our Klingon group used to make a wonderful concoction nicknamed "Saurian Brandy" that was simply to die for (how appropriate for Klingons). It contained, among other ingredients -- dark flavourful amber maple syrup (from our home province of Quebec) and 40% alcohol. Whenever possible, we served it Klingon-style at our diplomatic receptions (AKA parties). That is to say -- simmering hot, just enough to give off amazing maple fumes before you tasted it. It was mighty fine sippin' stuff... It was extremely popular and we made *many* a convert to our Saurian Brandy, including a number of Star Trek and other SciFi media celebrities who attended our parties over the years. We often ended up having to send them back home with a private stash of Saurian Brandy in a specially designed and labelled bottle. Apparently it would stick in their minds so favorably, that if we met them again years later, they would still remember us fondly if we mentioned our KIDC's "Saurian Brandy". Damn, now I gotta go find my own personal stash; it's been aging for a couple of years and should be even more mellow by now...

By: Monday, stony Monday

Monday, stony Monday — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:34:19 -0800

Sortilège is similar in concept to Saurian Brandy, but with whisky. Pretty good, but too sweet for me [1 or 2 glasses max].

By: BrotherCaine

BrotherCaine — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:56:04 -0800

The International in IHOP refers to the Swedish pancakes, blintzes, and crepes. I think they used to have "German pancakes" AKA Dutch babies at one point in time. As far as I know they've never had pupusas, baghrir, dosa, injera, apambalik, or buchujeon. You don't take a bottle of dijon mustard to a baseball game for your hot dog, do you? I used to give a friend a load of crap for grating $20 a pound imported parmesian onto his kraft mac and cheese that he'd made with Parkay squeeze margarine. But the reality is that some imitations are so wrong that you're better off skipping them than trying to eat even the worst foods with a paltry substitute. BTW- Here's a tip for sussing out whether a breakfast place in Northern California is going to be one of the best. The table has any of of the following on it, or any two of the following are available when requested: Real maple syrup. Pepper plant hot sauce Dickinsons or Hero jam rather than Smuckers, or Knott's, will accept any other jam company that has sugar in place of or over corn syrup on the ingredient list

By: BrotherCaine

BrotherCaine — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:57:34 -0800

What I don't understand is why people like IHOP. The triumph of mediocrity is inevitable and yet still a mystery.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:05:47 -0800

> What I don't understand is why people like IHOP. In many areas it's the only thing open at 3AM; it has a kind of McDonald's-like crap consistency to it so people know what to expect; there's always the promise of a gritty atmosphere with odd looking people who are either road weary or just plain insane; it's about as cheap as a sit-down restaurant with wait staff gets; people often eat garbage at home so they really can't tell the difference; et cetera.

By: ODiV

ODiV — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:03:27 -0800

maple syrup is completely extraneous in that scenario You... You bite your tongue! Maple syrup is never extraneous. One of the first talks my parents had with me about the importance of politeness came about after I'd exclaimed "This isn't real maple syrup!" at more than a few neighbourhood breakfasts and sleepovers at friends'. I still don't understand how anyone can tolerate, let alone prefer, that Aunt Jemima crap. And one of my favourite memories is eating pancakes cooked on cast iron on an old propane stove out at our cabin, where all we could scrounge up was a quarter tin of fermented maple syrup from northern Ontario.

By: mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey

mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:32:31 -0800

"I hate pancakes. Too heavy. Too thick." BURN THE WITCH! HERETIC! BLASPHEMER!

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:53:09 -0800

Pancakes are awesome. Waffles have pockets for the syrup. So they're awesomer.

By: fore

fore — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 05:48:13 -0800

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that some people have never had real maple syrup. I just don't see how that's possible.

By: computech_apolloniajames

computech_apolloniajames — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 18:41:54 -0800

Hmmm, I have flour, eggs, milk AND maple syrup. I know what I'm having for breakfast!

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 18:46:04 -0800

Hmmm, I have flour, eggs, milk AND maple syrup Howsabout a little baking powder? Sure does help 'em rise nicely!

By: computech_apolloniajames

computech_apolloniajames — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:15:35 -0800

But of course, Mr. Flapjax, there's also salt, sugar and a dash of vanilla.

By: Ynoxas

Ynoxas — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:17:59 -0800

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that some people have never had real maple syrup. I just don't see how that's possible. posted by fore at 7:48 AM on April 25 Me too. I've lived most of my life in small towns in Tennessee, and the local grocery stores have always had real maple syrup available, albeit at much higher price, so I doubt it was ever very popular. But it was available. Doesn't maple syrup have an almost indefinite shelf life? And I definitely want to know how to get my hands on some Grade B.

By: caddis

caddis — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 06:13:30 -0800

I can personally attest that Libby's Yeast Pancakes are an excellent vehicle by which maple syrup can be consumed. Now I should probably go running to compensate.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 08:34:14 -0800

Double... nah, triple the vanilla. Can't have too much.

By: Lentrohamsanin

Lentrohamsanin — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 08:54:35 -0800

And I definitely want to know how to get my hands on some Grade B. Whole Foods used to carry a few varieties. Haven't been in one for a bit though.

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 09:32:26 -0800

Doesn't maple syrup have an almost indefinite shelf life? It does tend to crystallize when stored, but heating it redissolves the crystals.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 10:06:29 -0800

Do keep it refrigerated. I've had mold grow on unrefrigerated maple syrup. :-(

By: PigAlien

PigAlien — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:00:43 -0800

I cannot stress enough that not only does Grade B taste better, it has more of the natural vitamins and minerals that come from the tree! It's healthier for you all around! It's also great for allergies if you happen to live in the area where the sap is harvested. If you don't, well, not as much, but still helpful. Remember, sap is the blood of the tree! All of the nutrients collected from the tree's roots and leaves flows through the sap! Grade A syrup filters most of that stuff out. I make homemade Kefir, which is very sour, and to drink it, I alternate between adding dark, local honey and Grade B maple syrup. I never had allergies to begin with, but I know it's good for me in so many other ways! It tastes delicious too.

By: Blingo

Blingo — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:41:13 -0800

I just wonder the efficacy of real maple syrup when used on Nannerpuss.

By: terrapin

terrapin — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:44:31 -0800

"a place like IHOP (which is usually a bit sketchy w/r/t hygiene in the US)" I haven't been to an IHOP since my date and I found an unwrapped condom in the coffee thermos in the late 80s. Maple syrup in bulk at the coop where I work is very reasonably priced, thank goodness, since we use it on and in so many things. I sugared with some friends for the first time this year and got an education on production. Many Vermonters have their own sugar bush groves and sugaring shacks. It takes so many hours to make so little syrup from so much sap. I applaud them.

By: terrapin

terrapin — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:58:54 -0800

Doesn't maple syrup have an almost indefinite shelf life? Yes, and even if there is mould on the top, you can pick it off, re-boil it and it is good to go!