Honeybee_ Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - C. Marina Marchese [77]
HONEY COLOR: Very dark amber with a tinge of red.
TASTING NOTES: One of the most well-respected honeys of the world. A strong, dark honey. Slightly bitter with an earthy aftertaste of burnt caramel, fudge, licorice, rum, and plums. Does not crystallize.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over Stilton or cheddar cheeses, and serve with cabernet sauvignon. The Scottish Highlands’ famous heather-honey cake is made with bell heather honey.
30. HEATHER, LING
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: A low-growing perennial shrub with evergreen leaves and purple stems with pink-lilac flowers that produce brown to golden red-brown pollen. Ling heather honey is highly respected, commanding high prices.
BLOOMS: August to September. Beehives are moved to the moorland and heathland regions each summer.
BOTANICAL NAME: Calluna vulgaris (Calluna is derived from a Greek word meaning “to sweep,” and the plant was used to make brooms.)
COMMON NAME: Ling heather, spring torch, brande, bruyère commune, erica vulgaris, callune, brezo.
PROVENANCE: Scottish Highlands.
TERRIOR: The dominant plant of the Highlands, it covers moors, heaths, and open woods, thriving in the damp, rocky, acidic soil, and in both sunny and shaded locations.
HONEY COLOR: Dark amber with a reddish hue.
TASTING NOTES: Aromatic. Strong, slightly bitter, smoky, toffeeish flavor with plum tones. Known as “the port wine of honeys,” ling heather honey has an unusually thick, jellylike consistency. It is too thick to extract from the comb, so it must be gently pressed out. The honey can be stirred until it becomes liquid, but will return back to its original jellylike state. Does not crystallize.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over Stilton or cheddar cheeses, and serve with cabernet sauvignon. Use in relish and chutney. Makes a nice honey beer.
31. HORSEMINT
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: A perennial herb with lance-shaped leaves and tubular yellow flowers with purple tinges and spots. Horsemint is an important honey plant, attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and honeybees.
BLOOMS: June to October.
BOTANICAL NAME: Monarda punctata
COMMON NAMES: Spotted horsemint, spotted bee balm, dotted mint.
PROVENANCE: Native to the United States. Most important honey plant in the black and Grand prairies of Texas.
TERRIOR: Sandy prairies, open fields, roadsides, and hills. Prefers lime soil and full sun.
HONEY COLOR: Clear water white to amber.
TASTING NOTES: Highly aromatic, spicy, and minty in flavor. Hints of lemon and oregano.
PAIRINGS: Serve with Havarti or Asiago cheeses and merlot. Stir into herbal teas and mix into mint juleps. Use in glazes for grilling meats.
HORSE MINT
32. HUAJILLO (pronounced wa-He-yo)
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: A small-to-medium-sized desert bush not to be confused with the Guajillo chili pepper. The blooms are fragrant, small, round, and creamy white to yellow in color, with globular heads.
BLOOMS: March to early May.
BOTANICAL NAME: Acacia berlandieri
COMMON NAMES: Berlandier acacia, guajillo acacia, guajilla or huajilla.
PROVENANCE: Uvalde County in southwestern Texas chaparral or brush country. Unique to the Edwards Plateau of Texas and to southwestern Texas and northern Mexico
TERRIOR: Sandy, rocky soil in dry desert and uplands. Prefers intense sun.
HONEY COLOR: Mild, light-colored, crystal white with a pearly reflection, like new milk, or a very light amber.
TASTING NOTES: Extremely delicate and distinctive taste that is described as very light, smooth, and tangy. Hints of apricot, prune, and cranberry.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over Brie and macadamia nuts, and serve with Sauternes, port, or Madeira. Use in pineapple-tamarind glaze for pork chops and lamb.
33. KAMAHI (pronounced car-MY)
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: A slow-growing evergreen tree with small, creamy white flowers in erect spikes, producing white pollen.
BLOOMS: October to December (New Zealand spring).
BOTANICAL NAME: Weinmannia racemosa
COMMON NAMES: Red birch.
PROVENANCE: Produced in both the North and South islands of New Zealand.
TERRIOR: Rugged native forests or shrublands. Prefers full sun and a temperate