The Honey Hunt

Introduction

Introduction

In his monumental work, On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee writes, "[t]hough most honey is made from a mixture of nectars from different flowers, some 300 different 'monofloral' honeys are produced in the world . . ." Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking, page 663-64, Scribners, 2004. In 2012 I began a quest to try a few of these monofloral honeys. After a while I began looking for a book that would guide me in my quest and found nothing that met my demands. The reason for this was that I looked too soon. As far as I can tell, only in the summer of 2013 were two popular books published which cover this topic, The Honey Connoisseur by Marina Marchese and Ken Flottum and Taste of Honey by Marie Simmons. Not having had these books available, I took to the Internet -- that repository of all truth -- and found helpful information from the National Honey Board. On its website the Board provides a catalog of honey varietals that gives a good description of each floral source and sometimes a description of the honey's flavor. There is also a helpful brochure on varietals here. So, why isn't that the end of the story and the end of this blog?

One need only try a few of the many clover honeys available to discern that clover honey from one region tastes a bit different from clover honey from another region. There are regional differences in honey that make a noticeable difference. The Board's information is too general to take this fact into account. In addition, the Board doesn't review the honey of a particular supplier, as I intend to do. As for the books, they limit their discussion to 30 and 40 varietals, respectively, and I intend to go beyond that number. Another reason for soldiering on in this quixotic quest is that the Board's list is incomplete in some respects, as it readily admits. I suggest you consult both the Board and this blog when learning about a particular honey.

Accordingly, for the benefit of all mankind, I reluctantly take up the task of eating my way through as many honey varieties as possible and sharing some information about each variety. I hope you find something useful in what I write and return regularly as I slowly build this database. You see, I intend not to gain any weight in doing this project, so it will take years to complete. Spoons at the ready? Get set! Go!

A Note on Color

No, I am not color blind. I too can see that amber-colored honey is not white. Then why would I call any honey white? In the United States the US Government has classified honeys in seven categories: (1) water white, (2) extra white, (3) white, (4) extra light amber, (5) light amber, (6) amber and (7) dark amber. I have used this classification system because it appears on most labels. I might have used the Pfund honey grading system (which is in millimeters), but I don't want to pay for the equipment to take those measurements and you wouldn't care about those measurements if I had.

August 28, 2021

Lime Tree Honey

Packager: Alshifa +966-12-614-3938, P.O. Box 8960, Jeddah 21492, Saudi Arabia info@sunbulahgroup.com

Nectar Origin: Unknown

Color: Extra Light to Light Amber

Filtration: Raw

Price: About $13.50/pound.

Flavor: This has a pleasant taste with a bitter finish. There is nothing particularly citrus about it other than the bitter taste at the end which is reminiscent of citrus rind.

December 24, 2020

Cherry Honey

Packager: Apicoltura Brezzo S.r.l., Frazione Tre Rivi, 87, 12040 Monten Roero, Italy 2123 brezzo.it
Nectar Origin: Italy
Color: Amber or Light Amber
Filtration: Raw
Price: About $10.00/pound.
Flavor: This has a strong chemical flavor to it that is difficult to describe beyond that general statement. There is nothing reminiscent of cherry about it.

Citrus Blossom Honey

Packager: Golden Desert Hives, Waddell, AZ (623) 244-2123 https://www.facebook.com/goldendeserthives/
Nectar Origin: Arizona, USA
Color: White or Extra Light Amber
Filtration: Raw
Price: Unknown. This was a gift from Richard and Jenn Gee.
Flavor: A very mild flavor with a hint of mild citrus flavor.

May 2, 2020

Swiss Forest Honey

Packager: Imkerei Christian Uhlman, Hasli 4A, 4856 Glasshütten, Switzerland
Nectar Origin: Aargau, Switzerland
Color: Light Amber
Filtration: Raw
Price: Unknown. This was a gift from my friend Elliott Nelson who visits Switzerland on a regular basis (as long as the plague is not raging).
Flavor: A more descriptive name for this honey could not be found. It really does taste like a forest. It doesn't taste like pine and fir trees, but its flavor certainly reminds me of that. There is a génépi-like flavor, but more earthy.

Flowers of Miyakojima

Packager: L'Abeile, https://www.labeille.jp/
Nectar Origin: Miyakojima, Japan
Color: White
Filtration: Raw
Price: About $57.00/pound
Flavor: I bought this honey at Mastsuya Ginza in Tokyo. If you have never been to the basement of a Japanese department store to check out the food markets that are often there, you really must give it a try some time. Just about anything you can imagine is available and presented in a stunningly attractive fashion. This honey is very floral and a bit fruity. Citrus and pear come to mind, but who really know.

March 14, 2020

Takayama Honey

Packager: If you can read Japanese, information on the packager is contained in the accompanying photograph.
Nectar Origin: Takayama, Japan
Color: Extra White
Filtration: Raw
Price: About $66.00/pound
Flavor: I bought this honey at a farmer's market in Takayama, Japan. I don't speak or read Japanese and Google Translate is no help in trying to figure out what kind of honey it is. I have assumed it is wildflower honey. It has a wonderful flavor with notes of maple and butterscotch. A licorice-like flavor can also be detected.

February 24, 2020

Borage

Packager: Fortnum and Mason, London, England
https://www.fortnumandmason.com/products/essex-borage-honey
Nectar Origin: Essex, England
Color: Water White
Filtration: Raw
Price: About $27.00/pound
Flavor: This honey is light in every respect, both color and taste. The flavors are very subtle. Anything other than a light sweetness is difficult to discern. It clearly falls into the confectionery flavor column. Only sugar and honey come to mind to describe its taste.

December 19, 2019

Marmeleiro - Brazilian Quince

Packager: Bee Seasonal, LLC, Gilbert, Arizona https://beeseasonal.com/
Nectar Origin: Caatinga, Brazil
Color: White
Filtration: Raw
Price: $24.00/pound
Flavor: This makes me think of marshmallows for some reason (the name maybe?). The flavors are subtle and hard to tease out. There is a fruit flavor I can't quite put my finger on. Thanks to Rachel Gray for this gift. See her cooking blog at cookingwithrachel101.