March 1, 2014

  • quick-write no. 4: immortalization of my reply to a question about honey

    Q:

    What is the worst honey you've ever had?  What determines if honey is good or not besides the obvious of making sure it isn't fake? What do you use honey for?

    A:

    It's definitely not the question of poor honey, but rather the excellence of a truly good honey! There are many factors that can contribute to a good honey. There is a world of difference between an over-processed store-brand clover honey, and a raw clover honey completely harvested from a single hive in the meadows of Colorado. The taste is on an entirely different level. For example, the generic honey has a neutral, predictable, straightforward "honey" flavor. No more, no less. The latter -- despite wielding the same name, the same color, even the same source flower -- tastes robust, full of complex tastes and notes. There's rise and fall to the sweetness. A slow build, culminating in a resonating burst of sugar, and a gradual fall into lingering and mellow floral flavors. And that Colorado clover honey would still taste different than a California clover honey, and even that would still taste different from a New Mexico clover honey. Different honeys from different geographical locations are all a little different, and the variation in flavor symphony is always a delightful orchestra to the tongue.

    Ironically, I am rarely seen adding honey to my tea, although that is the most popular application of it; while I love the taste of honey, I also love the taste of unsweetened tea. I do normally use honey as an alternative wherever I would use sugar or syrup, i.e. with my morning yogurt, my fruit, or my ice cream. Different honeys can also be paired with foods differently. For example, honey varietals are especially highlighted in cheese plates. A fruity rabbitbrush honey goes well with a bold blue cheese, and a strong buckwheat honey is brought out in the tang of goat cheese. You may be surprised with how many recipes can incorporate honey once you get an eye for it -- I've also added honey to salad dressings, savory sandwiches, sauteed veggies, all with yummy results!

    tldr i like honey

    sorry not sorry for novel, but you asked a stimulating question huehuehue