The Finisher — Kappa Foods

Is it a vinegar, a sweet sauce or marinade? For chef Nicholo Plaza, black maple marinade and glaze is all of these and more. The liquid is made from a secret recipe for mulled vinegar crafted by Plaza in Newmarket, Ont. He takes maple syrup originating from a single-maple orchard run by his friend in Quebec and high-quality liquid smoke sourced from south of the border. Plaza, also the director of product develop-ment at Kappa Foods, says it “brings out the natural flavours of whatever ingredient you mix it with.” The liquid is “not acidic despite it being vinegar,” Plaza explains. He added the smoke flavour because he and his team saw real southern barbecue — not the high-heat, pro-pane grilled-burger kind — was making headlines in Canada. Though Black Maple was intended to be used in the the smoker or on the grill, Plaza finds the applications to be limitless — from gravies to Caesar salad dressings, chilis to marinades. But his favourite way to use the tangy, sweet and smoky syrup is as the finisher.

Kappa Foods
kappafoods.com | 647.401.8286 | @kappafoods

Find it at: Sandy Aleksander Fine Food, Scheffler's Deli (St. Lawrence Market), Summerhill Market, Oliffe Butchers, Fresh and Wild