<P> Maple syrup is graded according to the Canada, United States, or Vermont scales based on its density and translucency . Sucrose is the most prevalent sugar in maple syrup . In Canada, syrups must be made exclusively from maple sap to qualify as maple syrup and must also be at least 66 percent sugar . In the United States, a syrup must be made almost entirely from maple sap to be labelled as "maple", though states such as Vermont and New York have more restrictive definitions . </P> <P> Maple syrup is often used as a condiment for pancakes, waffles, French toast, oatmeal or porridge . It is also used as an ingredient in baking and as a sweetener or flavouring agent . Culinary experts have praised its unique flavour, although the chemistry responsible is not fully understood . </P> <P> Three species of maple trees are predominantly used to produce maple syrup: the sugar maple (Acer saccharum), the black maple (A. nigrum), and the red maple (A. rubrum), because of the high sugar content (roughly two to five percent) in the sap of these species . The black maple is included as a subspecies or variety in a more broadly viewed concept of A. saccharum, the sugar maple, by some botanists . Of these, the red maple has a shorter season because it buds earlier than sugar and black maples, which alters the flavour of the sap . </P> <P> A few other (but not all) species of maple (Acer) are also sometimes used as sources of sap for producing maple syrup, including the box elder or Manitoba maple (Acer negundo), the silver maple (A. saccharinum), and the bigleaf maple (A. macrophyllum). Similar syrups may also be produced from birch or palm trees, among other sources . </P>

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