Over the past few years, hickory syrup has begun to show up at farmer’s markets around the northeastern United States. Made from the bark of the shagbark hickory tree, it’s an intriguing alternative to maple syrup. At Ox Dynasty Farms in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, surrounded by the biggest oxen I’d ever seen, Doug Drewes presided over simmering pots of hickory bark. According to Drewes, the liquid he was cooking is called “tea.” Indeed, Joe Haber, a restaurateur and expert on local Native American food and culture, told me that the tea…
