A natural fruit syrup or sugar made with the sap from the sugar maple tree. The sap is concentrated through an evaporation process to make syrup or sugar. Maple products have a very distinctive flavor, ranging from very delicate maple to almost caramel-like. The color of maple syrup ranges from light amber to a deep, rich, dark amber. Pure maple syrup is quite pricey and most products available are for that reason made by mixing maple syrup with other sugars and aromas. Maple syrup is the classic topping for the American pancakes.