Honey Sommelier: The Tasting of Honey - Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - page 115

cia . Acacia was a common tree in Italy, and although the honey color was almost ab-
solutely clear with only a slight yellowish tinge, the flavor was unexpectedly strong. It
was very clean with a hint of grassiness, and there were also wonderfully unexpected
notes of pineapple and butterscotch.
Next, I really wanted to taste the corbezzolo , which turned out to be honey from
the Mediterranean arbutus plant, similar to our strawberry bush. It was heavy in flavor,
bursting with fresh berries and quite perfumy and bitter on my tongue. I sensed sweet
berrynotesintheaftertaste.Itwouldhavebeendelicious,Ithought,drizzledoversome
chocolate gelato. The next selection was the tangy and citrusy lemon honey. It com-
pletelyliveduptoallmyexpectations.Custardlikeandcreamy,lemonhoneycouldeas-
ilybedrizzledoverfreshberriesinagrahamcrackercrustandgarnishedwithasprigof
mint. Native to southern Italy, this tart honey was as refreshing as the fruit itself. Next,
I was introduced to a crystallized honey romarino or rosemary. I slathered a spoonful
ofthislusciouscreamedhoneyontomytongueandcouldfeelthefinelygranulatedtex-
turemeltingwithrefreshingsweetnesssimilartofondantonaweddingcake.Herbyand
minty, this honey would complement a cup of iced tea. What was there not to love?
Francesco'sfavoritewastheeucalyptushoney.Hesaiditwasveryeffectiveatsoothing
his children's coughs. Eucalyptus grows wild along the Mediterranean, so there is no
shortage of eucalyptus nectar. I could smell the highly aromatic, menthol-like scent be-
fore I even dipped my spoon into the jar. Chestnut honey, the darkest of all the honeys,
wasanItalianfavoriteandkitchenstaple.Itsearthy,nutty,somewhatcaramelizedflavor
wasdefinitely anacquiredtaste.Icouldimaginethishoneybeingusedinamarinadeor
drizzled over stinky blue cheese.
The vast range of honeys harvested by this beekeeping duo was impressive. Their
appreciation of honey was as deep-rooted as their respect for fine wine. I was treated to
a walk through their apiary and did not leave without remembering to purchase half a
dozen jars of Amalfi honey.
Who would think honey would carry the same culinary prestige as wine and olive
oil?ButinItaly,honeyissohighlyrespectedthatitissoldalongsideboththeseculinary
favorites in enotece or wine shops. The medieval commune of Montalcino is known as
la citta del miele , or the city of honey. Here, beekeepers harvest some fifty varietals
of honey including acacia, chestnut, eucalyptus, wildflower, cherry, thyme, and lemon.
They are as proud of their honey as they are of their renowned Brunello wine.
T ASTING AND E VALUATING W INE AND H ONEY
What began as a simple garden hobby to divert my attention from the stresses of every-
day work soon turned into a culinary journey. I always remember the quote by Joseph