I always liked the fake stuff better as a kid.

I also like margarine better than butter, because (again) it's what we ate when I was growing up, so it tastes "normal" to me. I invariably refer to it as "butter," which can cause people to point and mock.

Maple kinda gives me a headache. I can handle it in savory stuff (like an apple cider-maple-fivespice marinade for pork) but straight up maple? Newp.

I love real maple. I grew up in a place where every winter the sugar shack would be open and we could buy maple sugar stirs which are heaven.

When we were in Vermont this year, we had maple soft-serve ice cream. Oh. My. God. I honestly don't think I've ever had better ice cream in my LIFE.

I love maple syrup. When I was broke I went to Mrs. Butterworth instead and it was teh nast. Then I tried Ralph's brand, and it's lots better. When I get financially regularised, it's back to maple. Canada since I was little.

I like margarine better because 90% of my use for it is making toast or grilled-cheese sandwiches, and it doesn't tear up the bread like real butter does.

I grew up on margarine, but can't stand the stuff now.

I grew up thinking margarine was butter and calling it ""oleo", so I am not sure that is what it means. I discovered as a grownup that real maple syrup and butter made my taste buds sing. Also, I am now fat.

it doesn't tear up the bread like real butter does.

Exactly!

I grew up on margarine, but I love real butter. I even love unsalted butter. Like, if I didn't know it'd make me ill, I could eat spoons of the stuff. Cold, preferably.

I just did a google search for maple stirs and the only websites that have them are the ones that reference where I grew up.

Oh man, I love maple stirs -- it's essentially partially boiled down maple sugar. They pour it into a paper bowl and give you a stick and you stir it as it cools and hardens. If you eat it before it's all the way hard, it's the most amazingly delish consistency.