SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt.  For years, diners at the International House of Pancakes nationwide have slathered their pancakes, waffles and French toast in a variety of flavored syrups, like fluorescent strawberry and “old-fashioned,” the chain’s artificially-flavored take on maple syrup.

The label “old-fashioned” was bound to raise red flags for many Vermonters, who will tell you it is neither old-fashioned nor maple syrup (corn syrup does not come from trees).

So when the land of piping-hot pancakes and fresh maple syrup became the 50th state to welcome an IHOP last month, the franchise owners sought permission to depart from the chain’s standard fare. The IHOP here is the only one of about 1,400 in the United States, Canada and Mexico to serve real maple syrup.

“You can’t open up a Vermont pancake shop without Vermont maple syrup,” said Sam Handy Jr., who is the restaurant’s general manager and whose family owns the franchise.