Honeybee_ Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - C. Marina Marchese [74]
BLOOMS: Year-round.
BOTANICAL NAME: Syzygium aromaticum, syn. Eugenia aromaticum or Eugenia caryophyllata
COMMON NAMES: Girpflier, marashi ya karafuu (local name).
PROVENANCE: Pemba Island, Tanzania (a.k.a., the Spice Island).
TERRIOR: Sandy, maritime, ultratropical climate with high rainfall.
HONEY COLOR: Medium to dark amber.
TASTING NOTES: Highly aromatic. Exotic, spicy flavor that warms on the tongue.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over fresh arugula, orange, and ginger salads with feta cheese, and serve with pinot noir. Spread on cinnamon toast or spice breads. Used to make wine and honey beer.
18. CLOVER
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: The most diverse honey plant in the world; clover honey can be found in just about any pantry. Clover has three leaves; stems with four leaves are rare and considered lucky. The small flowers have round, spiky heads. Red clover has a large head of rose-purple flowers. Honeybees do not have a tongue long enough to pollinate these plants, but bumblebees do.
GENUS: Trifolium or trefoil
COMMON NAMES: White Dutch clover, alsike clover, red clover, trifoglio, trèfle, trébol.
PROVENANCE: Native of europe and northern regions of the United States and Canada.
TERRIOR: Clover can be found along roadsides and railroads and in meadows. Prefers moist, temperate climates with lime soils and sufficient rain.
HONEY COLOR: Water white to extra light amber.
TASTING NOTES: Sweet, flowery, delicate flavor. Notes of green grass with a spicy aftertaste. Pleasant waxy texture. White clover honey is the honey all other honeys are compared to because it is thought to be the most pleasing to the widest variety of consumers.
PAIRINGS: Used to make glazes for ham. Delicious enough to eat by the spoonful.
19. COFFEE
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: An evergreen shrub or small tree, Arabian coffee is a very important plant in commerce, providing the world with the most popular drink. Showy white blossoms smell like jasmine and are a valuable nectar and pollen source. The pollen is heavy and sticky. Blossoms give way to green berries that turn bright red and contain the beans that we roast to make coffee.
BLOOMS: All times of the year.
BOTANICAL NAME: Coffea arabica
COMMON NAMES: Coffee tree or shrub, mountain coffee.
PROVENANCE: Native to western and southern plantations of Ethiopia, Yemen, Vietnam, Brazil, and Thailand.
TERRIOR: The nectar flow is very intense after rains. Tolerates light shade and low temperatures, but not frost.
HONEY COLOR: Ranges from light to dark amber to brown and black.
TASTING NOTES: Delicate, rich, with notes of toffee, chocolate, brown sugar, and fragrant jasmine.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over Parmesan cheese and chestnuts, and serve with merlot. Pour over dark chocolate, vanilla bean, or raspberry ice cream.
20. CORBEZZOLO
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: An evergreen shrub with white, bell-shaped flowers. The edible fruit is round, prickly, and bright red and, despite the plant’s common name, is not the same fruit as a strawberry.
BLOOMS: November to February.
BOTANICAL NAME: Arbutus unedo
COMMON NAMES: Strawberry tree, bitter honey (miele amaro).
PROVENANCE: Native to the Mediterranean region, especially Sardinia.
TERRIOR: Grows in lime soils. Prefers dry, hot summers.
HONEY COLOR: Medium to dark amber. Golden.
TASTING NOTES: Strong, intense flavor of raw nuts. Astringent, bitter, pungent, herbaceous, and slightly smoky.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over pasta tossed with fresh ricotta cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Pour over gelato or prosciutto and melon. Used for making liquors and dessert wines.
21. CRANBERRY
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: A semievergreen shrub producing dark pink flowers that resemble the neck and head of a crane—hence the original name craneberry. The fruits are shiny scarlet berries. Requires pollination by honeybees.
BLOOMS: May to June.
BOTANICAL NAME: Vaccinium macrocarpon
COMMON NAMES: American cranberry, bounceberry, large cranberry.
PROVENANCE: In the United States: Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Wisconsin; New