Dandelion (Pissenlit) Honey, Rucher des Framboisiers, Maria, Gaspesie, Canada

Before I got this honey I had no idea there was such as thing as Dandelion Honey. Who would have thought? But I suppose dandelions do have flowers, and where there are flowers there is the potential for honey. And, happily, it is a wonderful honey- one of my favorites. I got this jar in a Provigo supermarket in St. Lambert, Quebec. It is one of many varieties of honey supplied by Rucher des Framboisiers out of Maria in the Gaspésie (North of the most Easterly and Northern part of New Brunswick).

According to their website (http://www.jardindelabeille.com/ahtm/Historique.htm ) Rucher des framboisiers is an organic family business that produces 10 different floral varieties of honey (of which one is dandelion), 4 types of honey wine (mead), pollen, candles, and wax figures. I had no idea there were varieties of mead, either. In case you are curious they produce: Sack mead, Dry mead, Raspberry melomel, and Choke cherry melomel. In fact, one of the varieties of their mead received the silver medal at the "Coupe des Nations 2001"- although they didn't specify which one. I've never tried mead, but now I'm keen!

In addition to all of the honey products that they offer, the gardens from which the honey is collected are open to the public during the summer, and the boutique also offers tastings and educational information about bees, and all things related to honey production. They seem to have a very nice set up; if you ever find yourself in the Gaspésie you might want to check them out.

From their website I also learned what propolis is. It is a brown, sticky resinous substance found in hives produced by bees from the resin of some trees (poplar trees for one). You can chew it and when you do, it has a tingling, numbing effect. It can be found in some creams to treat wounds and skin ailments, and in lozenges/sprays to treat sore throats. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties so it may promote healing and act as an antiseptic. The Rucher des Framboisiers sells propolis by the gram, if you ever want to try it.

Dandelion honey has the same golden mustard yellow color as sunflower honey, but clear rather than opaque. It has a heady floral aroma reminiscent of dandelions.It is a rich, warm, mellow honey, a little on the sweet side, with a pure, simple, uncomplicated honey taste, and a very subtle after taste of what I can only describe as dandelions. Very satisfying. Perfect on hot, buttered toast, in tea, hot cereal and for baking.

The Rucher des Framboisiers are located at 1059 Dimrock Creek, Maria, Quebéc, Canada.

Miel de Romarin, La Maison des Abeilles, Villechauve, France

On vacation in France in the Loire region we can across a large roadside sign promoting visiting "La Maison des Abeilles" (the house of the bees). I couldn't resist. La Maison des Abeilles is actually a series of small buildings-including a cluster of hive shaped ones, nestled next to the road. At the main entrance, which is also the entrance to the small, but well stocked, store containing various honeys and honey products, you can buy a ticket for a tour. The store, the ticketing and the tour are run by the owner and apiarist himself. He is a man with a mission to educate and promote bees and honey.

The cluster of hive shaped buildings is where the tour happens. From posters and artifacts you learn about the history of harvesting honey and the complicated (and fascinating) life of bees. In another section, the apiarist demonstrates how honey is harvested by taking a comb of honey and spinning it down (questions and tasting are encouraged). In the final section the center of the room is taken up with a glassed-in hive that has access to the outside. You can enter the hive via a door. You can see the honey bees coming and going and the apiarist enters to show you how he handles bees. He points out pollen on the legs of the bees, and also the difference between the queen and the others. All together it takes about an hour and a half and worth every minute.

If you'd like more information about La Maison des Abeilles:
http://www.val-de-loire41.com/detail.asp?type=produits-sucres&idoi=41AASOR100163

In the store after I bought a jar of rosemary honey (miel de romarin). It has been sitting in my pantry for a while so it is now cloudy and crystalized, but still a mellow yellow with a slight froth at the top. It isn't too complicated of a honey. It doesn't have different tones and flavors- mostly a sweet, crisp flavor with an undertone of something aromatically herby. This is the rosemary coming through. It isn't overpowering, more of a subtle background taste. The first and aftertaste are nearly the same.

This is a good, solid honey. Great for tea- especially herbal tea, on bread and in hot cereal. I think it might be good for baking as well.

In addition to rosemary honey, La Maison des Abeilles had other varieties, all locally produced and harvested by the apiarist (whose name I wish I had now!).

Wildflower Honey, Swan's Maine Beekeeper, Albion, Maine

I got this honey for the holidays. It is packaged (and likely harvested) in Maine by Swan's Honey, which is now owned by Lincoln and Karen Sennett. The Sennetts own a family farm in Maine that has been in their family for over 100 years, and kept bees to pollinate their crops (blueberries mostly). In 2002 the Sennetts bought Swan's Honey so that the 70-year old Maine company would continue. Since buying Swan's Honey, they've expanded their bee operation and now harvest, package and market Swan honey as well as produce and sell candles and balm. In addition, they are active in the beekeeping community, teach beekeeping, and provide pollination services to other farmers, some as far away as Florida (for the orange and other crops). Local honey production is generally blueberry and clover.

The raw and unfiltered wildflower honey that I have has a reputation of being authentic to the area. Clara wrote a brief online comment about it that says it has the same flavor as honey she remembers eating that her grandmother harvested.

It is an opaque soft, light yellow color. It is very, very creamy and looks as if it has been whipped, with the consistency of melted marshmallows.It has a very smooth flavor as it gradually melts in your mouth. It doesn't have a complicated taste, but a solid, cool, honey (slightly floral) sweetness throughout with the same after taste. Given the consistency and the robust, consistent flavor it would be perfect on buttered toast, in tea, in baking, in hot cereal or just eating right out of the jar. Yum.

I saw a few online sites that sell it, if you aren't in Maine and interested. Just search for Swan's Maine Beekeeper Raw & Unfiltered Wildflower Honey and the sites will pop up.

Radish Honey, The Bee Folks, Mount Airy, MD

Surfing one day online I found a website: http://www.beefolks.com/ where you can buy all sorts of interesting American honey and honey/bee products. I got my radish honey from them.

As per the website, the owners started out as a family of backyard beekeepers in Maryland but loved it so much they quit their day jobs and started beekeeping full time. Four or five years later, they have a great website and an impressive collection of honeys and honey products, including candles, hand creams, soap, and lip balms. A quick count of the number of varieties of honey they produce tallies to 17, with some that I've never come across before, like: butterbean, meadowfoam, snowberry and radish. I guess that a bee can make honey out of anything that it pollinates, but radishes? I guess radishes have flowers. A quick look online confirms that they do. Radish flowers are delicate, four petal flowers.

The radish honey has crystallized since I got it- it was liquid when it arrived but I stored it in a cool corner of the kitchen. It is a mellow opaque yellow color. The crystals are evenly spread throughout the jar. Sometimes crystals form in patterns, starting on the top or sides of the jar. It hasn't been the case for this honey. The crystals are also quite large. I can see their chunky outline when I dip a toothpick in. The taste is clean, clear, smooth and slightly spicy, a little like cloves. There is no discernible aftertaste, just a smooth taste of sweetness at the end. It has a very simple, clean taste but it is unusual in the subtle kick it has. It would be nice in some teas, on toast, in hot cereal and in baking.

If you want to try it, or other American honeys, you can buy it online at The Bee Folks website.

Miel de Garrigue, Le Mas des Abeilles, Col le Pointu, Bonnieux, France

This honey reminds me of a great trip we had in France one summer. We rented a gite in Malaucène in Provence, and with our compact rental car did a day trip to Senanque Abbey in the Vaucluse, near Gordes. I'm pretty sure I found this in the gift shop there. It was a clear summer day with the sun beating down. The noise of cicadas filled the air, and there was lavender in bloom in long fields leading up to the abbey. The drive to the abbey was on small, twisty roads through the mountains, and when we arrived the landscape impressed us, but more importantly, we were just happy to finally be out of the car. The lavender was a bonus.

I bought this particular honey because I didn't know what 'garrigue' was. It turns out it means 'wild hillside' honey- which isn't that descriptive. A quick search online and I found that garrigue honey often contains: thyme, rosemary, white clover, asphodel (a flowing plant of the family Asphodelaceae- google it and you'll see its pretty white flowers), or blackberry. These are wild hillsides in Provence, after all.

This particular garrigue honey comes from Le Mas des Abeilles in Col le Pointu, which is in the heart of Provence (and not far from the abbey). They have a fantastic website: http://www.mas-des-abeilles.com/ complete with spectacular photos of the countryside. They describe their corner of Provence as 'paradis,' and I won't argue the point. You can also visit their operation; they have the dates/times that they are open to visitors on their website. I wish I had known and we would have made a side trip to visit them.

They produce artisan honeys that are raw, natural and unpasteurized. Apart from a variety of honeys (lavender, thyme, acacia, forest, rosemary, orange, etc.) they also produce and sell nougat, pralinos, honey candies, mustards and vinegars. And if you REALLY like one of the their honeys you can bypass buying the 250 gm jars and go straight to the 5 kg buckets. Had I known, my luggage might have been that much heavier on the way home...

The garrigue honey is a warm chestnut brown color. It has started to crystallize since I bought it (which happens naturally within a few months of being harvested). It is a rich, full-bodied honey with fragrant floral overtones, and a molasses undertone and after taste. It isn't too sweet, subtle or complicated, but very satisfying. I think it would be delicious on hot buttered toast, plain yoghurt, or in hot cereal. It may have too much flavor to use in tea, unless you'd like to change the flavor of the tea slightly.

It doesn't look like their website is set up to do online purchases, but they do have a 'contact us' email option, in case you are interested.

Australian High Country Honey, Beechworth Honey, Corowa, Australia

I have a large jar (17.6 oz) of Australian High Country Honey from Beechworth Honey. They have a great website that outlines their history and their philosophy among other things, and you can buy their products online, which are extensive. They have everything from different kinds of honey, to honey lotions and soaps, to sparkling honey nectar, to beeswax candles, to honey candies. They also list recipes on line, offer guided tours of their facility and surrounds, and offer an e-newsletter. Quite a production.

From the history outlined on their site, their honey business started in the 1880s with Benjamin Robinson. He was mining for gold at Beechworth but turned from being a miner to being a apiarist who supplied 'liquid gold' to the mining community for 'gold gold.' His family has continued the business (presumably not for 'gold, gold' anymore, alas) ever since.

The area seems to be made for honey. It has an abundance of flora, including eucalypt forests. The range of honey that they offer reads like an exotic menu: Blue Gum, Black Box, Gray Iron Bark, Red Stringy Bark, Snow Gum, Tasmanian Leatherwood. That must be some eucalypt forest!

Flash forward four generations and Jodie and Seven Goldsworthy are continuing in the family business. The Beechworth Honey factory is located near Corowa in New South Wales and forms the center of an extensive honey producing network. If you are interested, here is their website: http://www.beechworthhoney.com.au/our_history.html

I have 'Australian High Country' honey and didn't know what the 'High Country' was all about until I looked it up. Apparently Australia has 'Australian Alps' that stretch for 400 km from Canberra, through southern New South Wales, and along the Great Divide into eastern Victoria. The million and a half hectares of rocky landscape is home to national parks and wild life protected areas. This wild country is also the setting for the famous Australian poem written by Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson, 'The Man from Snowy River.'

The Australian High Country honey that I have is a warm, burnt orange-red color. It is very thick. It has a very smooth texture, almost glassy, and takes time to dissolve. It isn't too sweet. It has a very subtle background taste of molasses, with buttery overtones and a woody, slightly smoky, aftertaste. This is a hearty, husky honey- robust and very satisfying. It would be good in hot cereal or in tea.

The Boyds and the Bees Honey, Waltham, MA

This honey is a rare find. I got it from a chance meeting with Maria who, amongst many other things, does beekeeping as a hobby in Waltham. She has three hives and the honey she collects is for family and friends- so, you won't be able to buy or find any (alas). I got to talking with Maria one night and learned a lot about beekeeping, and the ins and outs of being a part-time beekeeper. She's nearly convinced me that I could beekeep in the urban suburbs of Boston. I'm not sure if my neighbors would be too happy to have a hive next door in a tiny postage-stamp yard, but Maria says that they wouldn't notice. I think some of my neighbors (especially the ones in the condos out back) have binoculars at the ready, so I think they'd notice. They notice if I put the trash out too early, after all. I think they'd notice me wearing beekeeping garb puffing smoke into a box. Even so, I'm starting to think about it. Perhaps I could camouflage the hive to look like lawn furniture (a small side table?), or strategically place it so that it is hidden somewhere- in my itty bitty yard, this won't be easy.

But back to Maria's honey. It is a rich, golden color and if you look closely it has small to tiny flecks in it- probably bits of hive that got through the filters. It is surprisingly thick and my toothpick is happy to stand in it indefinitely. It has a wonderful texture- very creamy, and it dissolves slowly. It has a fresh first taste of floral and something herby but herby-sweet not herby-bitter. The closest I can think of is that it is like sweet grass. The after taste is subtle, an echo of the first taste and then you are just left with a lingering sweetness. This is a very nice, and somewhat complex honey. I asked Maria what the flower source(s) is/are and she says she can't really say- whatever is in the neighborhood but she did mention that there are raspberry and blueberry bushes nearby. She lives in a quiet, family, suburban neighborhood with some mature trees and some with larger, wilder lots. Next time I'm there I'll walk around and see if I can identify other likely sources. She says she also does two collections a year- spring and end of summer/fall (if I remember properly) and that the sources and subsequently the honey flavor is quite different depending on the season in which it was collected. I'm not sure when the honey I have was collected but it is likely that it is from this summer/fall.

This honey would be great in tea, over hot cereal, on hot toast or anywhere else. I think it might also be a good honey to make honey candies with.

Thanks Maria for sharing some with me!