• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Citrus: orange, lemon, tangerine

Berry: blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, black currant

Tree fruit: cherry, plum, apple, peach

Tropical fruit: mango, pineapple, apricot

Dried fruit: prune, fig, raisin

SWEET: sugary, saccharine, syrupy, candy, vanilla

Honey generally tastes sweeter than white sugar to most people’s palates, but with some experience you will learn to enjoy the layers of flavors in honey.

SALTY: briny, saline, brackish, salted

NUTTY: walnut, hazelnut, almond, pecan, pine

WOODY: rustic, vanilla, cedar, oak, smoky, leathery, coffee, chocolate, tobacco

EARTHY: dusty, rich soil, musky, black tea

PUNGENT: yeasty, vinegar, sour, acid, biting, fermented (Honey in its fermented state can taste yeasty.)

FLORAL: perfumy, rose, violet, geranium

SPICY: prickly, sharp, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, licorice, anise

WAXY: soft, chewy, flavor of beeswax

METALLIC: iron

HONEY PAIRING

Artisanal honey can make just about any food taste divine because it naturally pairs well with all food groups, but especially dairy products. Fruits, nuts, breads, and especially wine and cheese make unforgettable accompaniments. An easy way to determine which types of honeys you will appreciate is by learning more about the types of foods and wines you already enjoy. There are two ways to think about pairing honey with food: The first is to find a honey that is similar in taste and flavor to the foods you are preparing. The other is to contrast the flavors of the honey with the flavors of the foods. When you are pleased by the sensations in a pairing, the honey and food is considered a harmonious combination. In Italy honey is paired with the country’s famed pecorino and ricotta cheeses; in Spain it’s paired with tapas, in Greece with yogurt, and in Israel with apples and challah bread. So if cooking and travel are your pleasures, it won’t be long before artisanal honey finds a place in your kitchen.

HONEY IN THE KITCHEN

Pure honey adds multidimensional tasting notes when added to foods, whereas sugar simply adds sweetness. On the average, honey is one to one and a half times sweeter than sugar, so you will tend to eat less honey. One tablespoon of table sugar contains forty-six calories, while one tablespoon of honey has sixty-four calories.

Honey acts as an emulsifier in salad dressings, helping to keep oil and vinegar mixed. Honey will slide smoothly off measuring utensils if you lightly coat the utensils with vegetable oil or cooking spray beforehand.

TIPS FOR BAKING WITH HONEY

Honey is also a humectant, a substance that either absorbs or helps other substances absorb moisture. Another scientific term for this property is hygroscopic, meaning it can actually attract moisture. For bakery foods, more moisture generally means longer freshness or shelf life. In other words, treats baked with honey tend to be moister and to stay moist longer.

When using honey in a recipe, reduce the amount of any other liquid by ¼ cup for each cup of honey used and add ½ teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of honey used. Reduce the temperature of the oven by 25°F to prevent overbrowning.

STORING YOUR HONEY

Many folks are amazed when I tell them that pure honey never needs refrigeration and never spoils if stored correctly. The optimum storage temperature for honey is between 70 and 80°F (21 and 27°C), and it should be stored in airtight containers.

Appendixes

APPENDIX 1

Deciphering a Honey Label

Whether you are traveling or visiting a gourmet food shop here in the United States or abroad, you will always find interesting honeys for sale. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to experience a rare or unusual variety of honey.

Some people will choose their honey by their labels. Beginners may opt for a label with a sweet honeybee, and experienced honey lovers may take a chance on an esoteric label. Most honey labels will be written in English, but for the fancy imported ones you may come across, here is an alphabetic listing of honey words and terminology with translations in the most popular honey-producing