The other day, my boy asked me why trees have sticky stuff in them.

"That's sap," I told him, "and it's what the syrup you eat on your pancakes is made from. Maple syrup comes from maple trees."

Just for kicks, I took a look at the bottle of Aunt Jemima in my pantry. It's not made of maple syrup.

CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, CELLULOSE GUM, CARAMEL COLOR, SALT, SODIUM BENZOATE AND SORBIC ACID (PRESERVATIVES), ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE.

For a list of what these ingredients are, and how to make your own maple syrup, go check out Restless Chipotle.

Next time you're at the grocery store, buy the 100% maple syrup. It doesn't have an ingredient list because... Well, it's 100% pure.