>....most are content with sugar, ersatz maple syrup, corn syrup, jams,
jellies or artificial sweeteners.

There is more to maple syrup than just sugar.

From the North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual (Bulletin 856, Ohio
State University Extension Service):

“Sucrose is the most prevalent sugar, comprising 98-99.9% of the dry matter
of sap. [It can also contain up to about 0.17% glucose.] This leads to a
misunderstanding by the casual observer that sap is just sugar water. If
that were true, sap would not sustain the life of the tree. It is that
small percentage (2.0% or less) of amino acids, organic acids, phenolic
compounds, hormones, minerals and salts, and other components that allows
sap to be the physiological liquid, with the right pH and  buffering
capacity, responsible for helping initiate growth within the tree.”

In maple syrup, sucrose accounts for 88-99% of its dry weight with hexoses
accounting for 0-12%.

The amino acids and some organic acids are responsible for the
characteristic “maple” flavor.

Both honey and maple syrup contain these organic acids: oxalic, succinic,
fumaric, malic, tartaric, citric.

Maple syrup has an average,  in mg/L, of these vitamins: Niacin, 276;
Pantothenic Acid (B5), 600; Riboflavin (B2), 60. It also contains trace
amounts of Folic Acid, Pyridoxie (B6), Biotin, and A.

Minerals  in maple syrup, in ppm, are potassium, 1300-3900; calcium, 400-
2800, magnesium, 12-360, manganese, 2-220. Lesser amounts of sodium,
phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, and tin are also present.

Light honey contains on average, in ppm, potassium, 205; calcium, 49;
magnesium, 19.
Dark honey contains on average, in ppm, potassium, 1676; calcium, 51;
magnesium, 35.

Last spring a few messages were posted here on the feasibility of feeding
maple syrup to bees to produce “maple honey”.  From The Hive and the Honey
Bee: “Honeydews are not considered suitable for winter stores......Temnov
(1958) lays the toxic effects principally to the mineral salts, especially
potassium.”  Given the high amount of that mineral in maple syrup, it
doesn’t look as though it would be the most healthy source of food for bees.

Calories:
Maple syrup 252/100g
Karo brand corn syrup 295/100g
Honey 304/100g
Molasses 252/100g

Here honey loses out with weight watchers.

Regards,
Dick Allen