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If you regularly look for pure maple syrup on the grocery store shelf, you’ve probably noticed that most bottles have handles so small they’re almost comical. Have you ever stuck your fingers in there while trying to dip your pancakes? Do they really have a purpose?
You might be surprised to learn that there is a lot of history and a bit of marketing behind the handles of maple syrup bottles.
Maple syrup wasn’t actually widely produced until the 19th century, when it was commonly stored in cans. Salt-glazed stoneware jugs weren’t normally used to hold maple syrup, but they did hold just about everything else back then, including molasses and liqueur. Those pitchers often have standard size handles that people can hold to pour.
Obviously, it would be difficult to pour and use ingredients for recipes when they’re stored in heavy jars, which is why a cheaper and more accessible alternative has finally taken over: glass.
The glass syrup bottle handles you see today are nothing more than a bit of nostalgia. Hank Green, creator of the popular YouTube SciShow, explains how it works and how it affects the way we think in this video.
So does the little syrup handle serve an actual purpose? No. But does it remind you of something old and comforting and familiar? Absolutely. That is the point.
When it comes to a combination of effective packaging and marketing, maple syrup companies understand their target audience, which is why it’s so much fun to pour a steady stream of syrup out of those old-fashioned-looking bottles.
Next time you’re looking for a bottle of syrup at the store, consider its origins and think about what other things you could use every day that give you that same sense of nostalgia.
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