Honeybee_ Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - C. Marina Marchese [83]
PROVENANCE: Native to North America. A leading honey plant in parts of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
TERRIOR: Typically found in acidic, sandy forest soils. Prefers full sun.
HONEY COLOR: Extra light amber with reddish yellow hues.
TASTING NOTES: Smooth and floral, fruity yet tart, with a distinctive raspberry flavor. Crystallizes rapidly.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over goat or Brie cheeses and walnuts, and serve with dessert wines or champagne. Stir into earl Grey tea or lemonade. Use to make vinaigrettes and mint jams.
55. RĀTĀ
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: Southern Rātā is a massive flowering tree with dark green leaves with indented tips and sprays of bright red flowers with dark stamens. Forests of flowering Rātā look like a red carpet covering the mountains on which it grows.
BLOOMS: January to March (New Zealand summer), sporadically every three to five years.
BOTANICAL NAME: Metrosideros umbellata
COMMON NAMES: Ironwood
PROVENANCE: West coast of New Zealand’s South Island.
TERROIR: Wet coastal forest and lowlands with cooler temperatures. Needs full sun.
HONEY COLOR: Very light or white crystallized.
TASTING NOTES: Rātā honey is one of the finest honeys in the world. Silky and creamy with a rich floral flavor. Distinctively salty. One of the fastest crystallizing honeys.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over pecorino and serve with sliced fresh pears. Drizzle over ice cream, muffins, and panna cotta. Makes a wonderful honey-mustard marinade for beef.
56. REWAREWA (pronounced rewa-rewa)
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: An evergreen tree with distinctive clustered, brick red flowers that split and curl into spirals.
BLOOMS: October to December (New Zealand late spring).
BOTANICAL NAME: Knightia excelsa
COMMON NAMES: New Zealand honeysuckle or alpine flower.
PROVENANCE: Native to the bush areas and the Nelson/Marlborough area of New Zealand’s North Island and the Marlborough Sounds at the top of the South Island.
TERRIOR: Low elevation, valley forests, sea-drowned valleys.
HONEY COLOR: Burnished amber or reddish brown.
TASTING NOTES: Malty, smoky flavor with overtones of caramel, dried fruit, and ginger. This honey is robust and woody. Very thick bodied, yet buttery in texture. Rewarewa honey has significant levels of antioxidants.
PAIRINGS: Serve with flaky croissants, granola, or yogurt. Mix into marinades for strong, savory game.
RHODODENDRON
57. RHODODENDRON
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: Bush with large, showy flowers that have five pink petals.
BLOOMS: Late June to July.
BOTANICAL NAME: Rhododendron hirsutum
COMMON NAMES: Hairy alpine rose, alpen rose.
PROVENANCE: Italian Alps, Austria, Switzerland, and France.
TERROIR: High altitudes, full sun, neutral to acidic soil.
HONEY COLOR: Light to medium amber.
TASTING NOTES: Medium sweetness, light aroma, and subtle flavors. Sharp, floral, and herbal flavors with undertones of wild berries, watermelon, and wet moss.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over val d’Aosta cheese and sliced fresh pears or figs, and serve with vin santo. Mix with cinnamon to season winter squash.
58. ROSEMARY
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: A woody perennial with a distinctive camphor aroma. It has narrow evergreen leaves. The flowers are white, pink, purple, or blue and attractive to honeybees.
BLOOMS: April to June.
BOTANICAL NAME: Rosmarinus officinalis
COMMON NAMES: Rosmarino, romarin, romero.
PROVENANCE: Found in the Mediterranean regions of Spain, Italy, and France.
TERROIR: Dry, sandy, rocky soils. Full sun. Warm summers and dry winters.
HONEY COLOR: Clear water white with a tinge of straw.
TASTING NOTES: Fresh herbal and floral flavors. Hints of lemon and pine. Granulates quickly.
PAIRINGS: Drizzle over blue or Camembert cheeses and serve topped with walnuts on olive oil focaccia bread. Add to glazes for chicken and roasted potatoes. Mix with vodka and lemon for a martini.
59. SAGE
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: A bushy shrub with aromatic leaves and white flowers that have a blue tinge. The foliage secretes a highly pungent, sticky oil. An attractive nectar plant for honeybees.