Today, July 22, 2014, is National Maple Syrup Day. Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species. Maple syrup was first collected and used by the indigenous peoples of North America. The practice was adopted by European settlers, who gradually refined production methods. Canada produces more than 80 percent of the world's maple syrup. The motif on the flag of Canada is a maple leaf. Vermont is the biggest US producer, with over 1,320,000 US gallons during the 2013 season
