When I was a child and lived in the village, foraging was one of my favorite activities. Especially I loved to collect the juice of trees at spring time. In this way, I met maple tree and maple juice that was sweet and incredibly tasty. It was Soviet Union time in Russia, no one knew about maple syrup and other products that exist abroad. After many years I tried the maple syrup, the taste was a very familiar. I also learned that maple syrup is a maple juice which is processed by heating to evaporate much the water. To get 1 liter of syrup, you need to evaporate 40 liters of juice.
The taste of maple syrup is very different, I like to experiment with different brands and gradations. Especially cool maple syrup is suitable for pancakes. Spongy American style pancakes with blueberries (on the pic) absorb syrup very well. Maple syrup turns plain pancakes into a fabulous treat!