Honey Tasting

"Bee Good, Bee Well, Bee Healthy."
Cottage Industries.

For Christmas 2012 my stepmother, Lisa, who lives back east, sent me a precious surprise; two jars of her own cultivated wild honey. One jar still holds a chunk of the comb, which has a delicious chew to it. I was thrilled when I opened the small hay packed box, and as soon a I touched the nectar to my lips I was very excited to find ways to fully enjoy this honey.

With my work in kitchens I have encountered my share of wild honey from various pollen; lavender, clover, apple, etc. My all time favorite until this experience has been an orange blossom honey which is available at The Orange Store in Fresno, Ca. No commercial or artisan orange blossom honey has come close to this honey's distinct flavor. Although Lisa's honey does not possess a specific blossom flavor, it has a complexity all it's own; light, floral and clean. It dances on my tongue as it melts.

After my initial taste straight from a spoon I realized that a tasting was in order. To pair and contrast Lisa's honey with other sweet syrups, fruit, nuts and cheese would be a fun way to enjoy and experience subtle nuances of her and her bees hard work. After all, this was her first bulk harvest, and from what I understand, processing the honey was no easy task. I was a lucky recipient of a rare substance.