Honey Blog

Last year was a very busy one for me. Between the show, ramping up Prager University, the Prager/Carolla tour, my teaching commitments and family, I had very little time for much else -- even honey.

But I hate making excuses. And honey is too important. And too much fun. So, the Honey Journal is back.

I begin with a story from Ecuador where I was with Dennis and our wonderful listener group just a few weeks ago. Dennis, his wife, Sue, my incomparable sister, Amy (the world’s most wonderful human), and I were driving out of Guayaquil (more on Guayaquil in a moment) on our way to a cocoa plantation.

We were talking about agricultural specialities of the region with our superb guide, Rocio, and somehow got on the subject of honey. My sister told Rocio that she happened to be sitting with Mr. Honey, himself. That piqued Rocio’s interest and much honey talk ensued. Then, as if by magic, there appeared a honey stand up ahead on the side of the road. Of course, we had to stop.

When I say “stand at the side of the road,” you have to think third world, not first world. There was a sign, a table and some honey. It was presented in large bottles. Nothing was sealed. Nothing was marked. There was one honey mixed with ginger and propolis (for colds and sore throats), one honey mixed with some bee pollen and who-knows-what (for energy), and one straight.

It just so happened that I was fighting a cold, so I had to have the ginger honey. I’m always in pursuit of more energy, so I had to have the energy mix. And, of course, I wanted the straight honey. It wasn’t practical to buy the large bottles, so I asked the proprietor if she had smaller bottles. She went into her house, returned with three maple-syrup style bottles and poured the honey from the big bottles into the smaller ones without spilling a drop.

Here’s what happened: the ginger honey cleared up my cold and sore throat, the energy honey gave me a boost and the straight honey was divine. My only regret is that I didn’t buy out the stand. They would have stopped me at customs probably, and I’d still be in Ecuador, but I’m going to miss this honey when it’s gone and it will be gone soon.

The straight honey is my new all-time favorite. What does that mean? It means brown sugar mixed with butter. It means stepping into a warm shaft of sun light. It means to taste it is to put yourself in a good mood. I have no idea where the honey comes from, except the foothills around Guayaquil, no idea what flowers the bees pollinated, and no chance that I will ever find out. The whole thing feels a little bit like “Brigadoon” to me, if you can follow that reference.

I would call it the honey adventure of my life and, obviously, a major highlight of the trip.

A few words about Ecuador and Guayaquil. There was a piece in the NY Times a few days ago about how Colombia and Peru have exciting growth prospects. Ecuador, wedged between these two countries, wasn’t mentioned. It has impressive natural resources from oil to gold and lots of arable land and sea food galore. So, why isn’t it growing like its neighbors? Because the President, Rafael Correa, is a “man of the people” like his mentor, Hugo Chavez. And, like this mentor, he is in the process of trashing the economy of his country just as Chavez has done to Venezuela. It’s sad. What’s worse; he’s about to be re-elected. Redistributing wealth wins elections, but destroys economies. How many times does that lesson have to be learned?

I had never heard of Guayaquil. Quito, the country’s capital, yes. Guayaquil has a lot of charm and even more potential. In the center of the city, they have a park full of iguanas -- dozens of them. Dennis couldn’t get over it. None of us could.

Final note: I called this the coffee cruise: Colombia, Ecuador and Peru are great coffee destinations. The coffee in South America is just fantastic -- rich, but smooth, none of the harshness of African coffees, or the sharpness of Asian. Do you remember Juan Valdez of the famed Folger’s coffee ads? The Starbucks of Colombia is Juan Valdez Cafes. As Folgers promised, he makes a very good cup.

 

 

 

 

 

From top left -- Still Life of Ecuador Honey, Iguana Park, Sister Amy at Iguana Park, 

Honey Stand, Juan Valdez Cafe, Colombia, Our guide, Rocio, and driver. 

 

Name: Branches Black Button Sage Honey; Arganouz Argan Tree Honey: Royal Hawaiian Honey, Macadamia Nut Blossom

You can buy it:  Black Button -- on the Internet here.  (Black Button), Argan Tree -- the next time you’re in Casablanca , Macadamia Nut -- on the Internet here and Whole Foods.

Country:  Napa Valley, CA, Morocco, Hawaii, USA.

Color:  Black Button -- Butterscotch , Argan Tree -- Dark Caramel, Macadamia Nut -- Almond.

Flavor:  Black Button -- sweet, creamy butter with hints of milk chocolate; Argan Tree -- sweet prunes and raisins; Macadamia Nut -- dark molasses with nutty themes and lemony kick.

Consistency:  Black button -- syrupy; Argan Tree -- thick and crystallized; Macadamia Nut -- heavy.

Fragrance:  Black button -- chocolate brownies right out of the oven; Argan Tree -- Pepper; Macadamia Nut: sweet musk.

Notes:

Susie and I are moving soon from Hollywood to Sherman Oaks, CA, a distance of about ten miles. I have long loved Sherman Oaks because it’s bisected by my favorite street in the world, Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley.

Why is it my favorite street? Because if anything is made anywhere in the world someone is selling it on Ventura. The world lives on this street. Here is an example. There are more sushi restaurants on Ventura Boulevard and streets nearby than in Tokyo. Here’s another.  One of my favorite all time pastries can only be found in two places -- Lisbon, Portugal (it’s home) and Ventura Blvd.

The whole point of this introduction (one of the things I like about the Honey Journal is that it doesn’t have to have a point) is that since we’re moving we are, of course, cleaning out cupboards.

Susie has complained about the size of my honey collection (that is, jars of honey) for some time and now, going through our cabinets, I realize she has a point. These three honeys have been living, sadly neglected, in said cupboards and deserve some attention.

Let’s give it to them.

Napa Valley, noted, of course, for its wine, may soon be known for its honey, too. This Black Button Sage Honey from Branches is superb, a taste delight. It has rich, sweet butter flavor that is only made more delectable by its fresh from the bakery, warm chocolate fragrance. Very high “mmm” factor. It reminds me a lot of Tupelo Honey and that’s high praise indeed.

Ever heard of the Argan Tree? I hadn't either. It grows in Morocco. Once I got into this honey with its sweet prune and raisin flavor (I’m a big prune fan), I couldn’t stop eating it. Every spoon dive into the jar led to another two or three. I’m just glad the jar is small. That’s the only thing that stopped from eating more.  (Note the amount left in the picture.)

I’ve said before that Hawaii is the honey capital of the world. You can find great honey anywhere which is why it’s so fun to collect, but there is probably more great honey in Hawaii, acre for acre, than anywhere else. Everything Royal Hawaiian does is excellent. The brown sugar coated nut flavor of this honey is perfectly cut by a lemony surge as the syrup glides down your throat.

All three of these honeys are monofloral -- drawn from one flower. There are many wonderful wild flower honeys, but if you’re looking for consistent, top quality look for the monoflorals.

Some the honeys in the cupboard aren’t making the trip from Hollywood to Sherman Oaks, but these three definitely are -- or at least what’s left of them.  

Name:  Organic A. Mangium Honey
You can buy it:  In fine food stores in Brunei or on the Internet here.
Country:  Borneo
Color:  Brown Sugar
Flavor:  Plum and apricot jam.  Sweet, but not overly so. Quite refreshing.
Consistency:  Solid. You can stand a knife in it straight up.
Fragrance:  Fruity with suggestions of plum, apricot and grapes.

Notes:

On our listener cruises, my honey antennae are on full alert.  I spotted honey in Hong Kong and Taipei, but wasn't tempted to buy.  The offerings were too clear and clean-looking, almost always a sign that what God and the bees put in, man has processed out.

I finally made a connection in a market in Brunei, on the tip of the large island of Borneo, and home to the world's richest human, the Sultan of Brunei, he of a palace with 1800 rooms, 280 bathrooms and a 110 car garage. Though one the smallest nations on earth, it's capital city has a very big name, maybe the best of any capital city --  Bandar Seri Begawan or BSB for short.

The country literally floats on a sea of oil and natural gas. The biggest slice goes to the Sultan, of course, but the population shares in the bounty. Education is free, everybody get a free trip to Mecca and so on. But the laws are strict and enforcement stricter. Not my cup of tea, but traveling through the city and talking to our guide, people seem content with the deal, though given the events of the last few weeks, who really knows.

This honey comes from Sarawak, one of the major provinces of Borneo. Once it's own country, Borneo became part of Malaysia in the sixties. Of all honey labels I've seen this might be the most remote. That's no idle boast. I've reviewed honeys from Papua New Guinea, Zambia and Pitcairn Islands. Here's what it says on the label: Bee Farm Site. 50km Samarakan, Tatu, Bintulu Sarawak. Find that on Google Maps!

All this does is reaffirm my oft stated contention that honey -- natural, unprocessed, untreated honey  -- can be found anywhere. There are some 200 countries in the world. Somewhere within them (and in all 50 United States) somebody is harvesting honey.

Sometimes people ask me if it's safe to eat raw honey from exotic places. First, please know that honey is a natural anti-septic and is used even today on certain wounds. Second, the process of making honey is universal. There are different methods but extracting the honey from the hive and getting into a container is pretty much the same the world over. In short, it's safe.

I was surprised by the complexity and fruitiness of this honey. That distinct plum flavor really jumped out at me. You might wonder, "come on, is he making this stuff up?" The answer is no. I offered a taste to the listeners on the cruise and more than the few, with no prompting from me, came up with "fruity" and "plum."

The A. in front of the word Mangium (the name of this honey) stands for Acacia. There is a plant called the A. Mangium tree that is common in Southeast Asia. Why they don't spell the word Acacia is a mystery. That this honey maker has a web site and that you can purchase the honey on the Internet is astonishing. The company looks to be a very serious operation and very environmentally sensitive -- all to the good. But as cool as the Internet is, there's no substitute for going to a place.

The cruise this year was terrific, but they always are. It was very exciting; almost more exciting than fun, I would say. Southeast Asia is a very intense place. It certainly is in the cities. If you've ever crossed a street in Saigon or Phnom Penh you know what I mean. There are no stop lights and an endless stream of scooters. There's no chance that you can wait them out for break in traffic. There's no such thing. Not at 7am, not at 8pm. The only thing you can do is to wade out into traffic and hope for the best. Here's the key: once you commit, you must keep moving at a steady pace. If you stop and start, you're done for. You have to move forward with purpose and let them adjust to you. Sound harrowing? It is But with practice, it gets easier. You just have to survive the practice period, that's all.

The Third World -- places like the Philippines, Viet Nam and Cambodia, much of South America and even some countries in Africa -- are coming on fast. If their governments get out of the way, these places will prosper. They all want what we want -- homes, cars, flat screen televisions, smart phones, computers -- and they're willing to work very hard to get it. Capitalism in the end always wins. This is obvious in Viet Nam. There is a simple answer as to why: it's the only economic system that has evolved naturally. Nobody invented it. Man-made, government imposed economic systems like communism and socialism will always fail. A lot of suffering would be spared if people could learn that simple lesson.  Alas and alack...

Good thing there are simple pleasures like honey from the jungle of Borneo to enjoy...



 

Honey Journal #33

Name:  Jalongo and Vignolini Miele Italiano di Flori di Eucalipto

You can buy it:  In fine food stores in Italy or on the Internet here.

Country:  Italy

Color:  Carmel

Flavor:  Soft caramel chew with a tang of eucalyptus.  

Consistency:  Solid. You have to peel it with a spoon

Fragrance:  Sweet musk

Notes:

Tempus fugit. The older you get the faster it goes. In two months, we leave on our next Prager Listener Cruise to Southeast Asia and I'm still thinking about the honey I want to write about from the last cruise. So, in the spirit of wrapping up some unfinished business, I want to tell you about an Italian honey I found, the bees who make it, share some observations about the ruins at Pompeii and wish you all a very sweet Thanksgiving.

The honey: Several decades before the big wave of Italian immigrants arrived on the shores of this country in the late 19th century, Italian bees had taken up residence. Beekeepers in Europe discovered that the Italian bee combined a mild disposition (they didn't swarm) with a great work ethic, producing more honey faster than any other bee strain. American beekeepers heard about this discovery and  imported some hives. It wasn't long before the Italians came to dominate the American bee scene. Almost all the honey we get from Europe and the US is the product of Italian bees. So, along with other great Italian imports like La Guardia, Fermi, Sinatra, Capra, Coppola, cappuccino, sports cars, leather shoes and fine suits we owe a debt to the Italian bee.

I found this honey in a shop in Rome and it's just a delight. For the name alone you'd want to own it. Mild, but distinctive, a caramel chew cut with a tang of eucalyptus. Sample it while listening to Il Travatore or watching The Godfather.

Thoughts on Pompeii:

Pompeii, of course, is the city on the base on Mt. Vesuvius that was destroyed by a volcano in 79 AD. Most of the residents literally drowned in ash, some frozen in mid-action. My wife, Susie, has always been fascinated with this tragedy. She also has a thing about the Titanic. Both help explain her devotion to disaster movies, high and low. I'm not sure there's a disaster movie she hasn't seen, but now I digress, although only slightly. She really wanted to see Pompeii. Since we would be in the neighborhood (Europe), we planned a short pre-cruise diversion.

Now, if you've given any thought to Pompeii, don't you imagine that it would be in some beautifully preserved national park? That was my image, at least. Well, the image is not accurate. The ruins of Pompeii are outside the city of Naples, in the center of lower middle class suburb, off a busy street. I must admit that threw me. Herculaneum, another Roman City devastated by the volcano and much smaller than Pompeii is surrounded on all sides by apartment buildings. Laundry hangs out above the walls of the ancient resort town. Here's another thing I just didn't think about. You go down into the cities. Makes sense once you think about it because they were buried beneath two thousand years of city growth. They were only rediscovered in the 18th century. Both ancient sites are fascinating, full of unexpected wonders at every turn. But, I must admit and I'm not proud to say it, I was expecting more Vegas. I guess I've spent too much time at Caesar's Palace.

If you do plan a trip to Pompeii, I have three tips. One: hire a guide to take you around. There's a lot to see and a guide will get you to all the highlights and provide much needed context. Two: Read Robert Harris' novel, Pompeii  It's a fun way to get some very useful background. And, three, and maybe most important, be sure to visit the Naples National Archaeological Museum. This is where they have taken all the best paintings, frescoes and artifacts in order to preserve them from the elements. Very few people do this. But you should. It will transform the experience of Pompeii and Herculaneum for you, giving it a third dimension that you won't have without it.

One more thought about Naples. It's the pizza capital of the world. The Neapolitans have contempt for the rest of the world's pizza. Don't even ask them about Roman pizza. They'll be insulted that you mentioned it in the same sentence as Naples pizza. The key is the crust: soft, supple and not too thick. You can go anywhere in Naples and get primo pizza.

A Thought on Thanksgiving:

My mother started a family tradition years ago of having everyone say what they're thankful for before we commence eating. My sister, Amy, came up with the best all-time answer -- indoor plumbing. A few other items come to mind, however. Here's what I'm thinking about this year, prompted by a news story that caught my eye earlier in the week. 15 million people around the globe applied to get a residence  visa to live in the USA last year. Only 50K were selected. To get this visa is literally to win the lottery. It's not stretch to say that to be born here is to be a lottery winner. Compare this country, as Dennis always points out, to utopia and it doesn't look so great; compare it to every other country in the world and it's paradise.  

Photos: 1) Wall painting from Herculaneum in Naples Arch Museum 2) Susie on Pompeii Str 3)Herculaneum framed by modern city 4) Fast food shop, Pompeii 5) Allen at Forum, Pompeii 6) Wall painting from Pompeii in Naples Arch Museum



 

Honey Journal #32 -- The Minnesota State Fair

Name:  (1) Ames Farms Single Source Honey -- Basswood. You can buy it in fine food stores in Minnesota or on the Internet here,
(2) Kallas Pure Honey -- Sunflower. Unfiltered and Uncooked. You can buy it:  In fine food stores throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota or on the Internet here.
(3) Bar Bell Bee Ranch Dandelion Honey. You can buy it throughout Minnesota or on the Internet here. 

Country:  USA, Minnesota and Wisconsin

Color:  (1) Grape Green  (2) Dark brown sugar (3) Caramel

Flavor:  (1) Sweet honey dew with crisp snaps of mint (2) Dark brown sugar with a spicy finish (3) Musky sweetness cut with a sneaky tart lime follow through.

Consistency:  (1) Spreadably thick (2) Heavy syrup (3) Easy flow. 

Fragrance:  (1)Watermelon rind (2) Handful of dark raisins (3) Fresh cut hay.

Notes:

Dennis and I were at the Minnesota State Fair, the biggest fair in the country, last week. Dennis has been coming for years, but this was my first trip. I was curious about three things: food, livestock and honey. The food was fried; the livestock, big; the honey, varied.

 

If you heard the show today, Thursday, June 10, third hour, you heard the world's first live radio honey tasting. These are the two honeys that were experienced by Dennis and two volunteers from the audience. I added commentary. 

Honey Journal #31. Honey from Portugual and the island of Madeira

Names:  (1) Mel Estrella. You can buy it in fine food stores in Lisbon, Portugal or on the Internet here. (2) Mel de Abelhas  You can buy it:  In fine food stores on the island of Madeira.

Country:  Portugal

Color:  (1) Black strap Molasses  (2) Golden brown

Flavor:  (1) Deep earthy almost primitive flavor. Dark chocolate (I mean 80% cocoa) with hints of pepper and oak. Has a slightly medicinal aftertaste that lingers longer than one would like (2) Rich, creamy sweet butter with notes of golden raisins.

Consistency:  (1) Thin. (2) Medium thick. Drops leisurely from the spoon.

Fragrance:  (1) Intense black dirt and wild flower scent (2) Box of Del Monte golden raisins.

Notes:

Here we have two honeys from Portugal : one from the western coastal mountains of European continent, specifically from Serra da Estrela Natural Park, and the other from the fabled island of Madeira, two hundred miles southwest of Lisbon. The people in these two places speak the same language, Portuguese; but the bees do not.  Or, at least, you wouldn't think so based on how different these two honeys taste.

 

 

Name:  Sekota Sunrise (This honey really doesn't have a name. I just made that up. Read on...)

You can buy it:  You can't buy it unless you're planning a trip to Ethiopia and even then it's doubtful.

Country:  Ethiopia

Color:  Lemon Curd

Flavor:  Sweet and smoky with a zest of citrus.  

Consistency:  Thick

Fragrance:  Barbecued chicken

Notes:

A couple of months ago I received this email. 

"Hey Allen,
I think you are the guy who collects honey.  I just got back from Northern Ethiopia.  A town called Sekota.  I brought back some honey.  If you don't have any from that area, would you like some?  I have already ran it through a stainer to remove all the major chunks but there is still some of the wax.  Not sure how to remove that.  I think it has a good flavor.  A little smoky, but I still like it. Reply back if you are interested.
David"

Of course I was interested. Fascinated would be more accurate. And David was true to his word and sent the honey. It came in a plain, unmarked Ball canning jar. I have to admit I hesitated for a moment. Unprocessed, untreated honey from Ethiopia. Hmmm. Is that really safe? Then, again honey has been used since ancient times to treat wounds. It's a natural antibiotic. Anyway, if there was risk, I couldn't resist. I reached for my spoon.

David was accurate in his description of the honey on both counts -- it's smoky and has good flavor.  Why is it smoky? I'm sure the reason is that the people who harvested it smoked the bees out of the hive. This is commonly done in Africa where beekeeper equipment and safety gear are not readily available. Bees hate the smoke and beat a hasty retreat when exposed to it. I first encountered this smoky hue when I reviewed some honey from Zambia early in the Honey Journal. But there's smoky and there's smoky and this is smoky. It crowds out all the other flavors except the natural sweetness of the honey and a pleasant zest of citrus. So, you've got sweet and smoky -- smoked honey. And, yeah, it's really good. Probably would be great as a chicken marinade. You get barbecue chicken without having to barbecue.

David was in Africa to bring Ethiopians a new way to cook using the sun and not firewood. Ethiopians spend a lot of time gathering fuel for their fires. This is especially true for children. If they're looking for fuel, they're not going to school. Solar cooking, using reflective panels, is a way to heat food without fuel, thus saving time for Ethiopians to pursue more productive tasks. It's a simple, inexpensive way to improve lives. (Click here for a sweet YouTube video of the project.)

Dennis and I deeply admire those who dedicate themselves to private charities. We've developed great affection for the people who work at CURE International, a charity that sets up orthopedic hospitals in the Third World.  Dennis is also involved with Rock of Africa, a group that provides mosquito nets and other essential items in sub-Saharan Africa. You watch these people in action -- doctors who could be working for top dollar in the finest hospitals in the USA -- and stand in awe. When they talk about their work they do so with such passion that they just about glow. 

What is it about the human brain that derives so much satisfaction from doing this sort of selfless work? Volunteers don't profit in any monetary way -- just the opposite. Ethiopia is hardly a preferred vacation spot. So, how do you explain it -- altruism. I don't have a great answer, but I will say this: there's a spark of the divine in the equation somewhere. Of that I am sure.  

So, thanks for the smoky honey, David, and thanks for the good work.

I enjoy your comments. Send them to allen@dennisprager.com

 

Name:  Hudson's Sweeties Pure Honey

You can buy it:  In Southern New Jersey or you can call 856-468-1367 and order some.

Country:  New Jersey, USA

Color:  Maple Syrup

Flavor:  A sweet, buttery malt taste with hints of dark chocolate. Very clean, fresh follow through.

Consistency:  Thick, but with an easy flow.

Fragrance:  Light wildflower scent

Notes:  I really liked this honey. Susie, my wife, went crazy for it. It has an unusual taste and it took me longer than usual to lock in to what that taste was, but I liked it instantly.

This honey also provoked a strong food association -- pancakes.  I asked Susie if she would whip up her wonderful cottage cheese variety and she graciously obliged.  Honey met pancakes and bliss was achieved.   This honey comes in a cute Buddha bear container, so you can squeeze it over pancakes as if it were syrup.  Of course, you can also just hold it over your mouth and squeeze, something I've been doing a lot of lately.

Prager listener Helen O'Connor has been buying this honey, she writes, for "a couple of decades"  from a local family of beekeepers.  The bees work the wild flowers of the fabled New Jersey Pine Barrens. One doesn't tend to associate New Jersey with vast forest, lakes and streams, but that would be a mistake. Southern New Jersey and the Pine Barrens are an enormous area of unspoiled wilderness, the largest, in fact, east of the Mississippi.  You can see this by looking at this Google Map . You can find out more about the Pine Barrens here.

John McPhee, the Pultizer Prize winning essayist and non-fiction writer, made the Pine Barrens the subject of one of his early books.  My beloved late brother, Mark, the inspiration behind the Honey Journal was a big fan of McPhee's and read everything he wrote.  Usually, whatever Mark read, I read, but somehow McPhee escaped that pattern. Now as result of getting a Buddha honey bear from a Southern New Jersey listener, I'm inspired to read McPhee.  Life is one long chain of associations, often unexpected ones.

Let me give you a good example.  Last year, Dennis, his wife, Sue, and I drove from the Democratic convention in Denver to the Republican convention in Minneapolis.  It was a out of our way, but we drove through North Dakota because it was one state that Dennis hadn't been to.  When we crossed the border, we pulled over next to the Welcome to North Dakota sign. Dennis got down on his knees and kissed the ground -- a great moment. I have pictures and video.  That night we stopped in Jamestown, North Dakota. There wasn't any plan to do so. It just happened.

Jamestown, it turned out,  is famous (sort of) for two things: it has the world's largest buffalo statue and is the birthplace of Louis L'Amour, who along with Agatha Christie, is probably the most widely read writer of fiction in the twentieth century.  L'Amour's specialty was Westerns.  Being an English literature snob,  I had never read one.  But now after this random stop in Jamestown and a visit to the Louis L'Amour house, I became interested.  So far I've read four of his books from the Sackett series and I think they're terrific -- and timeless.

If you're having a tough time getting your teenage son,  grandson or nephew to read anything beside comic books, give them a Louis L'Amour novel.  Not only are they fast-paced and full of great values, they're very well written.  Academics may turn up their noses at L'Amour,  but you don't sell millions of books if you don't write well.

A final note on Jamestown and L'Amour:  while we were there, the wind blew like a hurricane, almost non stop.   I couldn't help wondering what it would be like to live there in the winter.  L'Amour didn't wonder.  He knew.  He left Jamestown as soon as he could and spent most of his life, living and writing his great American novels from his home in Bel Air, California.

This unusual honey is not easy to come by since it's not available on the Internet. But it's worth a phone call. Your mood will improve when you taste what's in the Honey Buddha. And who knows what associations it will inspire in you.


I enjoy your comments. Send them to allen@dennisprager.com

 

Name:  Ours Brun Rosemary Honey

You can buy it:  In Chicago at the fabulous gourmet food shop Fox and Obel. Or on the Internet here. 

Country:  France    

Color:  Caramel

Flavor:  Pleasant mix of cashews and golden raisins -- sweet, but not cloying.

Consistency:  Medium thick, but will separate of over time, the thinner honey rising to the top and the thicker honey falling to the bottom.

Fragrance:  Light floral bouquet.

Notes: 

Somehow it figures that a honey from France would have a subtle and sophisticated flavor.  This one is very light on the pallet, making no attempt to overwhelm you.  Even though my preference leans toward stronger honeys, there is definitely a place for this one in my collection. 

I searched for some hint of rosemary, the herb from which this honey is harvested, but I couldn't detect any. There is not necessarily a one-to-one taste relationship between the flower and the honey. Tupelo Honey, maybe my favorite,  tastes nothing like the berries from a tupelo tree, I'm sure.  On the other hand, I've found that honey harvested from orange trees has an obvious orange flavor.  Perhaps the pollen from fruit and berries carry more of the taste of the fruit than the pollen of herbs or flowers. I'll have to conduct my own personal survey. 

It's almost exactly two years since I started The Honey Journal.  I've been surprised and delighted with the response it's generated.  I've achieved a certain modest level of notoriety as the executive producer of the Dennis Prager Show, in no small part due to Dennis's idiosyncratic description of me as a misanthropic curmudgeon, which really just means I don't laugh at the things he finds hilarious. What he finds hilarious would surprise you, but that's another story. 

But if I'm known as the producer of the show, I'm just as much recognized as Mr. Honey.  When I meet listeners of the show, they are just as likely to ask me about honey as they are about politics or Dennis.

The most gratifying response I get is when someone tells me that because of the Honey Journal or hearing me talk about honey on the show, they've tried the real thing -- the unprocessed, unheated, untreated, straight from the hive honey (like this French honey).  Many have really been pleasantly surprised about the difference in taste between generic, filtered honey (probably imported from China) and raw honey.

Listeners have also  been very generous in sending me their local honeys.  I've received them from around the country and  the world. One listener airmailed me some honey from Russia which I didn't review because it almost killed me (slight exaggeration). But I was very touched that he took the time and trouble to send it to me.  It wasn't his fault that it tasted like manure.

Some listeners and readers have seriously suggested that I open a Honey Store. I like the idea, but can't quite get my head around the business model. For now think I think I'll stick to my reviews.  

 

Honey Journal #26

Name:  WC Kester Apiaries Meadowfoam Honey

You can buy it:  At the Farmers Market in Salem, Oregon or on the Internet here.

Country:  Oregon, USA

Color:  Maple Syrup

Flavor:  Sweet vanilla with a hint of clove at the finish

Consistency:  Medium thick

Fragrance:  Box of raisins

Notes:

I'm in Oregon a lot because my parents and brother and sister live there.  And, of course, I'm always on the lookout for honey. My mother makes a trip to the Farmers Market in Salem every week and when I was there a few weeks ago,  I went with her. That's where I found this delicious nectar.

Meadowfoam is a very hardy herb that grows in dry soil, mostly on the West Coast, though especially in Oregon.  It produces a fragrant flower that creates a cloud-like canopy, a foam, if you will, of white.  During the spring and summer flowering,  the bees find it to be a very tasty treat.  

WC Kester Apiaries has a long history in the bee and honey business, going back to 1941. In addition to harvesting their own honey, they ship their bees all over Oregon, California and Washington to help pollinate the cherry and almond crops. Like everyone else in that line of work, they've been struggling with the sudden decimation of their bee colonies (Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD), but, according their own reports, they seem to be holding their own.

There have been some promising developments  on the CCD front, but as I've written before, it's doubtful scientists will find a magic cure to this problem. The over "farming" of bees -- shipping them long distances multiple times a year -- has stressed their immune systems to the breaking point .  Better bee management rather than a new anti-biotic or anti-fungal treatment is going to be the long term solution.

People often ask me how I eat my honey. Mostly, I take it straight, that is, scoop it out of the jar with a tea spoon. I like it to retain the nectar in my mouth for a little while to savor the flavor. But I use honey in other ways, too.  When I was staying at my parents, I used this honey to sweeten the plain yogurt I put on top of my oat meal. I have to say,  it made my breakfast.

If you're looking for an everyday honey that you might use to sweeten coffee, tea, cereal or even cook with this bee creation from the foaming flowers of Oregon is certainly worth a try.

 

 

Honey Journal #24

Name: Fowler’s Texas Cream Honey

You can buy it:  On the Internet here

Country:  Texas, USA

Color:  Light sandstone

Flavor:  A swirl of carmel taffy and chocolat with a sweet Texas grapefruit kick.

Consistency:  Buttery

Fragrance:  Citrus and Chocolate



Notes: 

This honey was sent to me by a listener from Texas who, I’m proud to report, has become a honey aficionado while reading this journal.  This is his favorite honey and it’s not hard to see why. Although the taste isn’t conventional, it is compelling. I keep finding myself going to back to this honey for just one more taste.  Don’t expect this jar to be around long, if you decide to sample it.

The honey is harvested by the Fowler Family in La Vernia, Texas, population, 931, outside of San Antonio who rightly take great pride in their small business and have put up an excellent web site.  

We have a great station in San Antonio,  930AM KLUP I noticed checking the KLUP web site  that they have an iPhone app, so that you can listen to Dennis and the other hosts on their station on your iPhone.  Theoretically, this should mean that you can listen to Dennis on your iPhone from anywhere in the world.  KLUP replays the show in the evening.  If someone tests this app and it works, please let me know at allen@dennisprager.com. I don’t have an iPhone or I’d do it myself.  

Another aside: The Texas grapefruit reference reminds me of my late, beloved Uncle Ben, my mother’s brother.  Ben was one of those guys you just wanted to hang around with: charming, unflappable, a pied piper without try to being one.  I was crazy about him. His personality was personified in his picture perfect golf swing. We’d go out to the course together and he’d send the ball flying down the middle of fairway for 200 plus yards, hole after hole.  He made the game, like everything he did, look easy.

It wasn’t always so, however. As a young man just out of the army, he failed at business after business.  A friend suggested that he come to El Paso, Texas where, this friend assured him, there was a lot of opportunity. This was El Paso in the early 50’s, not exactly a booming metropolis, but he had nothing to do lose so he went. And he liked it. He came back to Chicago and told his wife, my Aunt Dolly, that they were moving to southwest Texas. Dolly, who came from a prominent Chicago family, said there was no way she was going to some God-forsaken place where there was no culture, no deli and 110 in the shade, if there was any shade.
 
Ben’s mind was made up. El Paso was the future: Chicago was the past. If she stayed, they were finished. She went. Ben quickly got a job selling pants for a company very few people had heard about it outside the western states; that company was Levi Strauss.

Ben was a good salesman and made a nice living. He used a good chunk of the money he made to buy stock in his employer. He believed in the company and the product. They treated him well. Then, in the early sixties, something unexpected happened. Levi jeans became the uniform of every college kid and then high school kid in the country. In those days, there was no competition, no competing brands. You didn’t buy jeans, you bought Levis. You’re only decision was whether you bought button fly or zipper.

By this point, Ben was the number one salesperson for the company and had amassed a lot of shares of the company stock. He and Dolly became prominent citizens in El Paso, a town that had started growing by leaps and bounds, but not before Ben had purchased a nice chunk of local real estate.

This is a very long introduction to my Texas grapefruit story. Ben would visit us in Chicago every couple of years. And when he came he would bring a box of grapefruit with him – Texas ruby reds. He would brag that they were the sweetest you could find anywhere, much sweeter than those tasteless yellow ones from Florida (his description).

So, when I tasted that grapefruit kick in this honey, it reminded me of my Uncle Ben, may he rest in peace. Texas grapefruit always does.

 

Honey Journal #23

Name: Big Island Bees Organic Hawaiian Honey: Wilelaiki Blossom

You can buy it:  At Whole Foods or on the Internet here.

Country:  Hawaii, USA

Purchased:  December, 2008

Color:  Lemon curd

Flavor:  Distinct taste of brown sugar with a malt finish.

Consistency:  Thick and grainy

Fragrance:  Lemony

Notes:  I have written about more honey from Hawaii than from any other place.  I’m beginning to form the opinion that it’s the center of the honey universe.  The reason may be that they take their honey very seriously there.  A lot of people are involved in trade; they take great care and pride in their bees; and they focus on mono floral honeys.

This one from the Wilelaiki flower, the Hawaiian name for the Christmas Berry Tree, with its unusual lemon curd color grabbed my attention the moment I saw it. I wasn’t expecting the brown sugar taste, but the surprise could not have been more pleasant. The reason for this is easily explained -- I love brown sugar. As I kid, I would seek out my mom’s supply and scoop out a teaspoon whenever I thought the coast was clear.

I have to believe, without having any data to support it, that this honey is healthier than brown sugar.  For one thing, it’s not refined.  Try mixing it in your oatmeal.  Or forget about the oatmeal and just take it straight, always my preferred method.
 

Honey Journal  #22

Name: Oregon Growers and Shippers, Blackberry Honey. Raw and Unfiltered.

You can buy it:  Roth's Food Markets in Oregon or on the Internet here.

Country:  Oregon, USA

Purchased:  March, 2009

Color:  Oak

Flavor:  Warm cotton candy with slight hints of blackberry    

Consistency:  Atomic  and very grainy.

Fragrance:  Very faint chocolate milk, but I'm reaching.

Notes: 

This the kind of honey that you'd find in Granny's kitchen.  The scene goes something like this:  you come into town for a visit. At breakfast, while Granny is off at her water aerobics class at the Y, you make yourself breakfast. You look for something to put on your toasting English muffin. You find this honey on the pantry shelf behind the Cream of Rice.  You carve a teaspoon out of the jar and spread it over a top of the muffin. The honey melts into the Smart Balance and you're very happy. When Granny comes home, you find out that she bought the honey in 1964 and forgot that she still had it. Doesn't matter.  Like Granny, it hasn't aged. 

Since it's a monofloral honey, obviously raw and unfiltered, I really wanted to find those blackberries. I did, but not in the obvious, "wow" sort of way I was hoping.  When I thought about it I realized that blackberries really aren't really a "taste me!" kind of berry. They're pretty subtle in the best of circumstances, often leaning to the tart. They make great pies and jams but they need the help of a lot of sugar and, in the case of the pie, a great crust.

I picked up this honey in Salem, Oregon where my parents live.  I was there to celebrate my dad's birthday. My parents live in a lovely ranch house on a bend in the Willamette River which this time of year, flooded with the winter rains and mountain runoff, is fast moving and about an eighth of a mile wide.  Right now, from their patio window I can see ducks landing in the water. The current is so swift that when they land against the current, they are immediately swept down river. It's funny to see: the ducks flying in hell bent for leather and just as fast carried backwards by the river. Nature stages these vaudeville sketches (wart hogs bouncing over the plains of the Masai Mara would be another example) all the time. You just have to be in the right place at the right time to appreciate them.

My mother is a certified master gardener, so in the summer her small garden is a bouquet of flowers and vegetables, but now, in the early spring, is pretty drab, except for the jonquils which have popped up sunny yellow. The cotton, oak and fruit trees are still naked. There is no suggestion that in six weeks they'll all be covered in young green leaves.
 
There are advantages to this: the view of the river and the wild life is unobstructed. I was up early this morning and out in the backyard.  It was like Times Square at rush hour. Everybody was moving - finches at the feeder, squirrels jumping from branch to branch, robins digging up worms, woodpeckers drilling for bugs, ducks bobbing in the river, geese foraging in the grass. And everybody was talking, especially the geese, who honk, like a Lima, Peru cab driver, at the slightest excuse.

Back to our honey: It's so dense that it would probably last the normal honey user a year and easily longer. That's a good thing. Every honey collection needs a honey like this one -- earthy, dependable, solid and, let us not forget, sweet.