If, sometime soon, someone offers to sell you some maple syrup at a price that seems too good to be legit, you're right.
Canadian authorities report a "significant" theft from a major maple syrup plant in rural Quebec.
It reminds us of a story by Roddy Doyle, the Irish author of "The Commitments" and other books about working-class characters in Dublin.
A few guys who are basically honest family men, but desperate, steal a truck they believe contains thousands of bottles of olive oil.
Instead, it contains thousands of bottles of barbecue sauce. Needless to say, barbecue sauce is a much tougher fence anyplace, but particularly in Ireland, where barbecue cooking is not especially rampant.
The guys decide they must convince restaurateurs - their prospective customers - that barbecue sauce goes good with something people in Ireland like. They settle on tea.
The scene where the guys prepare tea with dollops of the sauce is hilariously winning. My recollection is that nothing gets sold.
Back to our original warning: if, sometime soon, someone mentions to you how well maple syrup goes with coffee, call the Canadian FBI.
Steve Burke
for Ithaca NY Blog
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