There was a Festival Park in the middle of a residential neighborhood with food, live entertainment, crafts, and more food. We scarfed down a hot dog each while watching high schoolers tap-dance, before checking out the local crafts displays. A Maple Festival is not the same without seeing how maple syrup is made; a maple tree stood in a corner with buckets hugging the trunk to collect sugar water. It was pretty fascinating, seeing a tree 'bleed' like that.
Tree tapping; Maple syrup cooking on a brick stove
We walked through a log cabin area that housed a huge vat of sugar water, that was being gradually boiled down into maple syrup. 40 or so gallons of that stuff only yielded a gallon or two of syrup, I think. It takes 8 hours to make maple syrup for an old-fashioned factory, but only 1 hour for a high-tech mass manufacturer. As we continued on, different maple products were featured, with a chance to sample them. Our favorite...
Spotza!
Spotza is maple syrup reduced into a taffy-like consistency, poured over shaved ice (snow) while piping hot. It's a classic Dutch treat - very yummy! It reminded me of mai ya tang (Chinese malt candy), but there was a distinct maple flavor. The other cool maple products we liked were maple sugar, and sugar cakes.
Bucket full o' maple sugar cakes
I had a great time, even though I felt a little funny being there. It was an all-white small rural Pennsylvania town - I was stared at by more people than if I pulled my pants down in the middle of downtown Pittsburgh. Other than two little Asian girls (cuteness!), who were probably adopted, I was the only Asian around for miles. Who knows, they might've thought I was the daughter of a Chinese buffet owner in the next town. E speculated that they could've been more uncomfortable/curious because I was with him; it's not every day they see a mixed couple. As unnerving as the stares were, it was kind of funny at the same time... like walking into a saloon in the Wild West, with swinging doors and all, hushing everyone. *cue tumbleweed* Howdy, stranger.
Didn't haul jugs of syrup back with us, but I've renewed affection for maple.. stuff.
In other news, we're done with taxes! (woot)
1 comment:
Aww... I do feel your awkwardness, being in a medium-size (Pop. 50,000) town myself. I cant wait for my 2 girls to visit Singapore, watch them freeze at the sight of an overhead crossing or a HDB complex.
You should get some maple syrup. They make great wings!!
Lin.
Post a Comment