In a solution, the parts of the solution are not distinguishable, the solution is transparent and these criteria are permanent, meaning the parts of the solution will not settle. In a mixture, the parts making up the mixture can be seen as separate components that may settle with time and are not transparent. Classification can sometimes be difficult. The syrup and berries were the principal sources of sweetness in their diet. Sugar from sugar cane was not available in the North and Europeans had not yet introduced honey bees to North America.
Many traditional stories mention maple trees and their sweet sap.
One story Nanabozho and the Maple Trees, speaks of the sap running year round and being thick, so thick that his people could merely break off a branch and drink from the tree. Nanabozho changed the sap so his people would not become lazy and dependent on the sap, forgetting their other skills. Early methods of sap production demonstrate a technology that made efficient and creative use of the materials of the day. Since metals were not available, a folded piece of birch bark acted as a spile and birch bark containers collected the sap that dripped from the spile. The lack of metal also makes the task of producing syrup more difficult.