Maple Trees in Ireland? American Bearing Gifts for Irish Relative.
Dennis Nicklaus
How common are maple trees/maple syrup in Ireland?
I'm from Wisconsin and in about 2 days, we're leaving to visit Ireland.
I've recently received a letter from someone who may be a distant
relative in Co. Clare (anybody know James Shannon of Killenagh? Didn't think so.)
who invited us to stop by for a visit.
Anyway, I thought I would take him some small gift.
Someone else I talked to had suggested a bottle of whiskey or cigarrettes,
both being quite expensive in Ireland.
However, for me, the cigarettes are out since I really don't like smoking
and would feel badly about contributing to someone else's demise,
plus they may not smoke.
The booze would not be so bad (OK, I know it probably isn't so healthy, either,
but it seems more likely that he would drink than smoke and at least it's a
vice I too enjoy.)
But I was kind of thinking it would be nice to give something more typical
of where I'm from, Wisconsin. Of course, our big product here is milk & cheese,
but they wouldn't travel well I fear.
So then I thought of another Wisconsin product: Maple syrup (no we aren't Vermont,
but a lot of it is made in Wisconsin, too).
I mean everybody likes this, right?
(And if you've only had the commercial immitations like "Log Cabin" or whatever,
you've never really tasted maple syrup. Once you taste the real stuff, there is
no going back!)
Anyway, my question is, do you have sugar maple trees in Ireland? Even if
you don't, I'm sure you can get real maple syrup at fancy import stores in
bigger cities, but how common is it?
Is a farmer in Co. Clare likely to have access to all of it he ever wants?
Any other good suggestions (wisconsin-related or not)?
Please email, and soon! We leave in 2 days! (I just got the letter
from this guy last week).
DAWN...@nuacvm.acns.nwu.edu
nick...@lonetree.physics.wisc.edu (Dennis Nicklaus) writes:
>
>Hi,
>How common are maple trees/maple syrup in Ireland?
>
>I'm from Wisconsin and in about 2 days, we're leaving to visit Ireland.
>I've recently received a letter from someone who may be a distant
>relative in Co. Clare (anybody know James Shannon of Killenagh? Didn't think so.)
>who invited us to stop by for a visit.
>Anyway, I thought I would take him some small gift.
>Someone else I talked to had suggested a bottle of whiskey or cigarrettes,
>both being quite expensive in Ireland.
>I mean everybody likes this, right?
>(And if you've only had the commercial immitations like "Log Cabin" or whatever,
>you've never really tasted maple syrup. Once you taste the real stuff, there is
>no going back!)
Personnally, I think your pure maple syrup idea is great. You're absolutely
right; _real_ maple syrup puts that fake "Log Cabin" junk to shame. Or, how
about some wine? There are a number of good Wisconsin wineries. (Does the
Hiney winery still exist, by the way? :-)) Or, how about some Leinenkugel's
beer? (Sorry, I'm from Chippewa Falls, so I have to plug the local product).
It's considered a "premium beer" by some in Chicago *cough* How about some
wild rice? A University of Wisconsin T-shirt or sweatshirt? Some craft made
by the local Native Americans? If he's married, bring the wife a piece of
Native American jewelry! How about a book about Wisconsin?
Go Badgers!
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Holohan Helen; ANL
: Hi,
: How common are maple trees/maple syrup in Ireland?
Actually, I don't think there are maple trees producing syrup in Ireland.
I'd love a bottle of real maple syrup to put on pancakes but I'm not sure
your distant relative would. People in Ireland don't usually put syrup on
pancakes etc. so I don't know what most people would use it for.
If you can suggest some uses to him - recipes for example - it'd be a
very nice gift.
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___________________________ooo__________________________________________
Sean V. Kelley
|Dennis Nicklaus (nick...@lonetree.physics.wisc.edu) wrote:
|: Hi,
|: How common are maple trees/maple syrup in Ireland?
|Actually, I don't think there are maple trees producing syrup in Ireland.
|I'd love a bottle of real maple syrup to put on pancakes but I'm not sure
|your distant relative would. People in Ireland don't usually put syrup on
|pancakes etc. so I don't know what most people would use it for.
|If you can suggest some uses to him - recipes for example - it'd be a
|very nice gift.
Now don't tell anyone I told you this, but Ireland's secret new industry
will be Sitka Spruce forestry in Co. Roscommon. Though maple trees
sounds like a sweeter idea to me. :-)
Sean
=============================================================================
Sean V. Kelley _____ ,__O B'aite liom fe/in bheith ar
Lockheed Corp. ___ _-_\_<; thaoibh mhalai/ shle/ibhe,
kel...@ede.sanders.lockheed.com (*) /'(*) Agus caili/n gaelach
a bheith 'mo chomhair
Steve McDowell
: Hi,
: How common are maple trees/maple syrup in Ireland?
: I'm from Wisconsin and in about 2 days, we're leaving to visit Ireland.
: I've recently received a letter from someone who may be a distant
: relative in Co. Clare (anybody know James Shannon of Killenagh? Didn't think so.)
: who invited us to stop by for a visit.
: Anyway, I thought I would take him some small gift.
you are opening yourself up for a big headache trying to take a plant into
another country. Most places are concerned about insects and such when bringing
things into the country the will interfere with the natural ecology of the area.
I strongly recommend that you check with the Irish consulate about it first...
Enjoy, ;-)
--
| Steve McDowell KEPS Inc.(a Kodak Co.) smcd...@keps.com 508-670-6543 |
|=============================================================================
AndreainME
: Hi,
: How common are maple trees/maple syrup in Ireland?
For those of you who haven't had a proper introduction to maple
syrup:
1. on ice cream
2. in coffee
3. on cereal
4. stirred into coffee or tea
5. in place of honey or treacle in recipes that call for these
(although the flavor is
much lighter)
6. in making home-brewed beer, in addition to your malt extract.
About 30 years ago, my father sent a gallon of maple syrup (very
expensive even then) to a business associate in Belgium. Something
obviously got lost in the translation, because the thank-you note
indicated that he and his wife were gradually learning to drink it as
a cordial!! Not recommended.
Andrea in Maine,
where maple syrup is also produced
