This is the first review in a one-off bonus series covering the items in a Snack Crate subscription box, which found its way to my parent’s mailbox. For more details on this, check out the introductory post.
Well this thing’s a little weird, mainly because the packaging doesn’t seem to be very forthcoming with information. So, wait, it’s just a 100% pure maple syrup sucker? Is that all this is? So it’s just going to taste like pancake syrup, but be in sucker form? Okay, whatever. Leave it to those adorable Canadians to come up with such a pointless idea!
Yep, just as I suspected, that is syrup, and this is a lollipop. And that’s pretty much it: there are no added flavors, or hidden secrets inside…just the taste of a(n admittedly good) maple syrup, attached to the top of a white stick. I mean, I get what it is, considering maple syrup is one of Canada’s biggest exports and popular items, but is there really that much of a demand for it to be in lollipop form? I guess so, considering this is something that’s apparently actually sold in a wide variety of places.
Whether or not you’re going to like this depends entirely on your fondness for maple syrup. Casual fan? Probably not. Someone who sneaks into the cupboard several times a day and eats it straight from the source? Then yeah, this will probably be worth it for you, with the added benefit of being in sucker form, so you can eliminate the potential mess that could arise from squirting it into your mouth.
For me, it just comes down to this: does this product better the world by existing? Actually, I guess that’s pretty strong criteria, considering just about any single product could be eliminated off store shelves and not leave a dent in the psyche of the world. But, at least to this selfish, narrow-minded American man, a lollipop consisting entirely of maple syrup just seems excessively pointless, and is something I would never be interested in getting again. I mean come on, I love me some honey, but I wouldn’t eat just a ball of honey on a stick. It’s made to be drizzled on things or, if I really want it in raw form, eaten out of the little bear-shaped bottle.
At the very least, liven it up a little! Add some sprinkles or some nuts on it, or some shit…I think that’s its biggest offense: it’s just too unimaginative and plain for me to really take seriously.
ALTERNATE TAKE: My three-year-old son, much to my surprise, loves this thing. He ate almost the rest of the entire sucker (though it took three days for him to get that far). Now, granted, kids are attracted to anything on a stick, which is part of it, but he also has a really weird palate that is very similar to his mother’s, so it somehow also makes complete sense.
Overall: 5/10. I get it: maple syrup is one of Canada’s biggest products, but I’m still unable to see the full appeal of a sucker molded in the shape of a maple leaf, and tasting like maple syrup. Is it good? I mean, yeah, I suppose it’s pretty good maple syrup, but is that really something people eat on its own, without pancakes or something else to drizzle it on? I guess if you tend to eat a lot of syrup straight from the container, and wish there was an easier, more convenient, and less messy way to get your daily fill, then this will fit the bill. For everyone else, it’s just a weird curiosity without much merit.
UNLESS you’re my three-year-old son, who absolutely loved this thing. Granted, maple syrup is a relatively new flavor to him, and it’s on a stick, which alone can almost guarantee any child will love it, but I guess that still proves that there’s someone out there for every product.
