Maple syrup does not have a single named “inventor”; it was first developed by Indigenous peoples of northeastern North America long before Europeans arrived.
Indigenous origins
Historical and oral traditions show that Indigenous nations in the northeastern woodlands, including groups such as the Algonquin, Iroquois, and Ojibwe, were the first to collect maple sap and boil it down into syrup and sugar. Archaeological and historical evidence indicates this practice existed for many generations prior to any European contact.
Role of European settlers
When French and other European settlers reached the region in the 1500s–1600s, they learned maple sugaring techniques directly from Indigenous communities and then adapted them with metal tools and large kettles. Over the 18th and 19th centuries, settlers introduced devices like metal evaporators and flued pans, which increased efficiency but were built on the original Indigenous practice of harvesting and concentrating maple sap.
