It's not uncommon to come across "maple-flavour syrup" in restaurants rather than the genuine article. This is because genuine maple syrup, even of the cheaper varieties, is quite expensive.
Maple syrup is made from the sap of a number of different maple trees, predominately sugar, red and black, although others can be used. The syrup was first collected by North American natives, and later by European settlers.
The maple trees are "tapped" - holes are bored into the trunk, and the sap harvested from them. Improperly boring the hole can damage the tree. The sap is then processed to remove the water, leaving the remainder mostly sugar.
Most maple syrup comes from Canada and the United States, with Quebec and Vermont respectively being the two largest producers; Quebec alone produces almost two thirds of the world's supply of maple syrup. There are different gradings of maple syrup, although this vary depending on the production area, with the US and Canada having different definitions of the quality. Canada actually has a strategic reserve of maple syrup.
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