Maple - Flavour Enhancer or Adulterant?

Another issue that tends to polarize people - maple flavouring in bacon. Some like it, many hate it and a few don't care one way or another.

I added an additional option so we can see if the people that do like it might be the same people that like flavoured coffee - I've always wondered who the customers for that stuff might be (as you may deduce, I am not a fan).

Just some of the syrup from my pancakes run across the plate to my bacon. I LOVE maple syrup, but that's it. I don't even like maple walnut ice cream. I also LOVE bacon.

I'm with Howie on this one. I gladly use maple syrup with pancakes, waffles and the like, and if a bit of that runs onto my bacon, that's fine, but the thought of maple flavored bacon makes me cringe. As to maple flavored vanilla ice cream, I have so far managed to avoid having had to taste that.

Yes, but it's not my fav. I prefer pepper bacon.

Yes, but it's not my fav. I prefer pepper bacon.

I'm with Jo Ann on this one, peppered bacon! Real maple syrup for my pancakes,on the rare occasion that I eat them.

[Jenise]

Bill, not a fan, but then I typically don't like factory-added sweet flavorings in anything. (Nor do I drink syrup-flavored coffees or fruit-flavored teas). I sometimes make a vinaigrette very lightly sweetened with maple syrup to top a grilled pork chop, however, and I consider that an entirely different proposition.

Bill,
Is maple-smoked bacon considered maple "flavo[u]red" bacon? Anything else is just... unimaginable to me.

Mark Lipton
(also not a fan of coffees that taste of anything but coffee)

Bill,
Is maple-smoked bacon considered maple "flavo[u]red" bacon? Anything else is just... unimaginable to me.

Nope, they add maple syrup to the brine they cure the bacon in. After that it can be, but need not be, smoked.

For those that like maple bacon and flavoured coffee, I should advise that you can get maple bacon flavoured coffee (God help us!):

Pure, real maple syrup on pancakes, waffles, thick cut bacon, black coffee only, some teas with a little sweetner, no cream or milk.

[Jenise]

Pure, real maple syrup on pancakes, waffles, thick cut bacon, black coffee only, some teas with a little sweetner, no cream or milk.

Me sentiments to a 't'. We could live together.

I guess I'm just a bacon slut. If it has some maple in it, that's ok by me.

Maple flavored coffee, on the other hand, is mortal sin in a pouch.

[Jenise]

I guess I'm just a bacon slut. If it has some maple in it, that's ok by me.

Maple flavored coffee, on the other hand, is mortal sin in a pouch.

There's a donut place in our town that puts a strip of bacon on top of a maple bar. Have to admit, it rocks.

I'll let you know when I get back from a week in Quebec. Apparently maple is relatively common in savory dishes there.

I'll let you know when I get back from a week in Quebec. Apparently maple is relatively common in savory dishes there.

Oh Lord! Not maple syrup on poutine! Noooooooo.......

I'll let you know when I get back from a week in Quebec. Apparently maple is relatively common in savory dishes there.

Oh Lord! Not maple syrup on poutine! Noooooooo.......

That would be terrible!

They should think about adding bacon to it, though.

I never really developed a liking for maple flavored bacon. Also, I tried making bacon in the oven a few times. Did not care for that either... bacon in a greasy frying pan has so much more flavor. However, I do like maple flavored pork sausage patties.

As to flavored coffee... the last time we had dinner in a restaurant (must be 5 to 10 years now) was at Roy's fusion restaurant. We had two excellent flavored coffees. One was raspberry but I can not remember the other. I bought a number of coffee flavors years ago but never had a cup of coffee that equaled what we had at Roys... Just cream these days.

Perhaps it's about time to try a cherry or vanilla coke this summer on the deck. Sunday is predicted to be around 80 degrees.

Tim

[Jenise]

So what about that "Millionaire's Bacon", where the bacon is oven-baked with about three heaping tablespoons of brown sugar on top until it, essentially, candies? It's all the rage in my neighborhood.

Not a fan.

Haven't tried that one, Jenise, but it sounds like too much of a good thing.

I'll let you know when I get back from a week in Quebec. Apparently maple is relatively common in savory dishes there.

Oh Lord! Not maple syrup on poutine! Noooooooo.......

Poutine with foie gras is already on my list, from Montreal's Pied au Cochon. Talk about too much of a good thing...

Poutine with foie gras is already on my list, from Montreal's Pied au Cochon. Talk about too much of a good thing...

I have the Pied de Cochon cook book and also blanched at some of their stuff. Either a total waste of good foie gras, or a use of it that wouldn't add much to the main recipe. I would not be a customer for their expensive FG hamburger and put myself in a position of trying (I suspect in vain) to detect the expensive ingredient that made it a $40 buck burger, among all the other ingredients therein.

What Howie said.

I could live with Lou and Jenise if they let me put just a little milk in my coffee.

I think of Millionaire's Bacon more as a bacon-flavored dessert than as a sweetened protein. Kinda like bacon toffee (which is really good, if you haven't had it).

I don't mind it used as a rub on bacon. I like both dry cured and smoked bacon. I do at times love maple syrup and fresh coarse ground pepper used as a glaze on grilled fresh salmon.