One wonders if this might have to do with the fact that it has travel to you from another continent. (Maple is one of those species that doesn't exist in Europe, right?)

Several maples are native to Europe, but the species preferred for maple syrup harvesting isn't one of them. However, I think this is a minor impediment to a greater uptake of maple syrup in this country, compared to the major impediment that it tastes absolutely foul.

I've only ever encountered maple syrup in the US, I don't think it's at all widely sold over here. We were talking in the pub once about why Indian cuisine is so prevalent in the UK, whereas the cuisines of other ex-colonies, say Canada, are much rarer. I reckoned this was because we took one bite of Canadian cuisine, discovered it was covered in maple syrup, and spat it right out again...

What was the most disturbing scene in Twin Peaks? The forwards-backwards speaking little dream man? Leland's last scene in the police cell? For me it was Agent Cooper saying "Nothing beats the taste sensation when maple syrup collides with ham"... *shudder* ... I still have nightmares...

Peter