Honeybee_ Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - C. Marina Marchese [79]
TERROIR: Deep, loamy soils.
HONEY COLOR: Bluish to very dark purple.
TASTING NOTES: A rare honey with a strong flavor. Fruity notes of apple, peach, grape, and bubblegum.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over ricotta cheese and sliced green apples, and serve with Riesling or cabernet franc. Add to glazes for pork tenderloin. Mix into lemonade garnished with sprigs of fresh mint. Used to make famous kudzu blossom jelly.
39. LAVENDER
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: A small shrubby camphorous plant. Aromatic plant with a camphor scent; slender leaves; deep bluish, thin stalks; and purple flowers. Lavender honey is highly respected in France and commands premium prices.
BLOOMS: From July to August.
BOTANICAL NAME: Lavendula angustifolia
COMMON NAMES: Lavender, lavanda, lavendel, espliego.
PROVENANCE: Native to Southern europe, especially Provence, France; Catalonia, Spain; and Portugal.
TERROIR: Thrives in sunny exposures and dry, poor, acidic soils.
HONEY COLOR: Light amber.
TASTING NOTES: Strong camphor-perfumed taste with sweet tobacco notes. Smooth, rich body.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over blue and goat cheeses and almonds, and serve with cabernet sauvignon. Pour over vanilla bean ice cream. Mix into salad dressings with lemon zest to create a glaze for grilled chicken breasts. Stir into chamomile tea.
40. LEATHERWOOD
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: An evergreen tree and one of the largest flowering trees; attains maturity at around 250 years old. So named because of the leathery texture of its leaves. Delicate white flowers with a spicy scent. Leatherwood honey of Tasmania has a reputation throughout the world.
BLOOMS: Mid-January until early March (Tasmanian summer).
BOTANICAL NAME: Eucryphia lucida
COMMON NAME: Swamp gum, mountain ash.
PROVENANCE: Tasmania, Australia.
TERRIOR: The wetter forest regions throughout the western portion of Tasmania. The leatherwood tree is part of Tasmania’s World Heritage Zone of protected forest, a botanically unique area of rain forest and acidic soils.
HONEY COLOR: Golden to medium amber.
TASTING NOTES: Rich, subtly sweet, spicy, slightly acidic. Subdued but persistent rose, violet, and caraway notes.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over Tasmanian smoked cheddar or Australian cheeses, serve with sourdough bread and cabernet sauvignon. Used to make ginger beers and ales.
41. LEHUA (pronounced Lay-WHO-uh)
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: Common evergreen tree with fiery red lehua flowers, which are very popular with bees. The flowers are the symbols of erotic love and are sacred to Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes, and to Laka, the goddess of hula. The honey is rare and highly sought after.
BLOOMS: May to July.
BOTANICAL NAME: Metrosideros polymorpha
COMMON NAME: Ohia lehua.
PROVENANCE: Native to the forests of the volcano Mauna Loa in the remote Ka’u district on the big island of Hawaii.
TERROIR: Found in rain forest and rolling pastures on the north side of the volcanoes. Requires full sun.
HONEY COLOR: Water white to light golden amber.
TASTING NOTES: Fragrant and delicate with a buttery flavor. Overtones of butterscotch, English toffee, and lilies. Lehua crystallizes extremely fine, making it naturally creamy and spreadable.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over blue cheese and sliced fresh pears, and serve with Sauternes. Stir into green tea.
42. LEMON
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: The edible fruit of the citrus-evergreen tree or bush. Its white, fragrant flowers have purple edges. Lemon honey is typically harvested in the Mediterranean. The United States markets lemon honey as orange honey since they are most often blended.
BLOOMS: Throughout the year.
BOTANICAL NAME: Citrus limon
COMMON NAMES: Lemon, citrus, limone, citron, limón.
PROVENANCE: Native to India, burma, and China. Later introduced to Persia and then to Iraq and Egypt. Grows today in Italy, Spain, Argentina, Israel, and in the United States, especially California, Arizona, and Florida.
TERRIOR: Originating in tropical and subtropical climates, but frost hardy. Sunny, humid environment with fertile soil.
HONEY COLOR: Bright amber yellow.