Maple syrup has a long history in North America, whose indigenous people began making the syrup from maple sap in the 1600s. While this sweet syrup is enjoyed all over the world today, its top producer is still stationed in its native North America, in a large country full of dense woods with plenty of maple trees.

Canada’s flag has a maple leaf on it for a reason. This country is responsible for 71% of the world’s total maple syrup output, producing around 7,989,000 gallons annually, 91% of which comes from Quebec; naturally, the cuisine of this province features syrup in dishes like pouding chômeur, a cake-like maple dessert.

Since maple tree sap is 98% water, it takes 40 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple syrup, and there are only 13 species of maple trees that produce the right kind of sap for syrup. Neither of these facts have slowed Canada down, and the country exported around 12.5 million pounds of maple syrup in 2017 alone.