Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
commandhigherpricesthancommonlyavailablehoneys.Inthenearfuture,beekeepers
will begin identifying these vintages and provenances on their honey labels.
A honey's flavor profile will vary not only from year to year but also from hive to
hive. The exact same field of flowers, if produced by two different hives that stand
right next to each other, can bear honey that is completely different in color, flavor, tex-
ture, and aroma. Blueberry-blossom honey from Maine might be lighter in color than
a blueberry-blossom honey from Michigan. A clover honey harvested from a hive in
2006 could have a slightly different flavor profile from the clover harvested from that
samehivein2007.Therearecertainlocationsaroundtheworldthatholdprestigewhen
it comes to making honey. Georgia is known for its tupelo honey, Hawaii for its kiawe,
France for its lavender, and Australia for its manuka. Honeybees foraging in these spe-
cificprovenancesharvestnectaronlyfromtheseplants.Irefertothesehoneysas
single
origin
, meaning from a specific region.
In Europe, there are certifications granted to protect agricultural products that are
produced in respected geographic regions. These certifications are a guarantee that the
products produced in these specific regions follow stringent rules and traditions with
regard to manufacturing, purity, and origin. In France there is the
Appellation d'origine
controlee
(AOC) In Italy the
Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita
(DOCG) and in Spain the
Denominación de Origen
(DdO). Food and wine are com-
monly granted these certifications and recently, honey has begun to be certified as well.
Honey from the island of Corsica was the first to be granted this respected AOC
status. Presently, there are six certified varietals of Corsican honey:
Printemps, Maquis
de printemps, Miellats du maquis, Châtaigneraie, Maquis d'été,
and
Maquis
d'automne
.
Miel de la Alcarria
, produced near Guadalajara, Spain, has also been gran-
ted the DdO certificate.
Also in France, the
label rouge
(red label) guarantees that a honey product is of the
highest quality available. Lavender honey from Provence, as well as that region's fen-
nel, thyme, and chestnut honeys, have been granted the
label rouge
.
T
ASTING AND
J
UDGING
H
ONEY AND
H
ONEY
P
RODUCTS
How do we judge the quality and flavors of a honey? I found answers to this question
in the center of London, where I attended the National Honey Show, a three-day event
complete with lectures, foods, crafts, books, equipment, and paraphernalia all relating
tohoneyandhoneybees.Onelargeroomwasdedicatedtothejudgingofhoneysamples
from all over the world. The entries were meticulously lined up on endless rows of
white-tiered tables. Beekeepers had painstakingly prepared and imported their honey
entries from their home countries according to the show's strict guidelines.
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