Labonté Pure & Natural Organic Honey (Brazil) Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada

Labonté honey has been a fixture in Quebec for over 70 years. In 1937 Rolland Labonté started the business in Victoriaville and it has grown into a large, global operation. Jean-Marc Labonté continues the tradition as the current head of the company. Labonté honey offers local Quebecois honey (blueberry, clover, and "pure and natural" which is probably a wild flower mix), and packages and distributes honey from Brazil (eucalyptus and organic pure and natural). You may know them for their "upside down pack no mess" honey bottles. They also produce maple syrup and offer bulk honey. And they aren't kidding when they call it bulk; their bulk containers range in size from 7 kg to 30 kg pails to a 1,400 kg Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC). It is hard for me to imagine the scale of 1,400 kg of honey. I envision a small swimming pool of liquid gold, which isn't too far off (see photo of 1,000 liter IBC containers).

 

1000 liter IBC containers

 Labonté honey also prides itself in its quality assurance program and are HACCP certified (i.e. use the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Food Safety Management System), are ECO certified and BIO certified (for their organic products). If you want guarantees that you are getting 100% natural honey, you can't go wrong with Labonté honey.

 

The honey I have is their "pure & natural organic honey" from Brazil. I checked the Labonté honey website to see if there was any more information about the honey-where in Brazil, what the floral was, etc.-but came up empty handed.  Usually if a floral source isn't specified it is a wild flower blend. 

Labonté Pure & Natural organic honey from Brazil

The honey is an amber golden color, very clear and of medium thickness, exactly what you think of when you think of honey. I don't see any particulate matter in it. It has a uniform sweet flavor with a hint of eucalyptus menthol at the end. This makes me think that they may place hives in the border areas around a eucalyptus forest or some batches of their eucalyptus honey have too much pollen from other sources, so it ends up being "pure and natural organic honey" rather than eucalyptus honey.  In my opinion some of the most interesting honey has multiple floral sources. 

 

This is a very good quality, robust honey that will please anyone who likes traditional honey. It is perfect for hot toast, baking or adding to tea or hot cereal.

 

 

Mandarin Italian Honey (Rigoni diAsiago), Calabria, Italy

Barbara, a friend of mine, gave me this honey, which is produced and distributed by Rigoni diAsiago, a family business run by the Rigoni family of Altopiano diAsiago, Italy.

Altopiano diAsiago, Italy

From the Rigoni diAsiago website, the business began over a hundred years ago with Nonna Elisa who, being widowed with nine children, began a beekeeping business with her two eldest sons after WWI. The business was successful and grew, and is still managed by Nonna Elisa's descendents. They have been innovators and trailblazers in the industry; they introduced monofloral honey in 1979 and went organic in the 1990s. To expand their product range, they added organic jams and hazelnut spreads. In addition they have expanded their markets to include the US, a variety of European countries, and recently, Japan. 

The business has come a long way since Nonna Elisa's time. The company owns large organic farm operations in Italy and Bulgaria, and employs 2,000 season fruit-pickers and 200 full timers. But the mission has not changed much: to provide products that are naturally flavorful and retain as much of the original nutritional properties as possible. To this end, they have gone high tech, with laboratories on site that run quality checks at each stage of production. For honey, this means verifying the pollen source of the monofloral honey as well as other aspects of its make up. They are also environmentally aware, using solar energy in their production plants and minimizing water usage by recycling steam.

Calabria, Italy

Rigoni diAsiago produce a range of organic Italian honey including wildflower, acacia, orange blossom, lime, pine, mandarin, chestnut, and forest. Not only is their honey certified organic, but it is also raw, meaning that it is cold pressed rather than heated. This process results in the honey retaining a superior flavor as well as many vitamins, minerals, etc. that are lost if heated.

The most recent addition to their honey line is  Mandarin honey. It is harvested in Calabria, a region in southern Italy (i.e.the toe of Italy). Most of the area is mountainous or hilly, but farmers in Calabria have been growing crops along the lower slopes for centuries. Most notable among these crops are olives, grapes and citrus fruit.

One travel site referred to Calabria as the Caribbean of Europe, complete with stunning beaches, impressive landscapes and an abundance of charm and history. It you are looking for hillside towns, ancient Greek temples and Byzantine churches in a pastoral setting, look no further!

Calabria Citrus

The mandarin orchards that produce this honey are grown on plantations using organic growing methods. Twenty-six bee colonies collect the honey in two thousand hives scattered throughout the orchards, and the honey is harvested from April until May.

The honey is thick. It rolls onto a toothpick in cloudy, sateen sheets of milky yellow, not unlike pulled taffy. It is an incredibly smooth and creamy with only a burst of sweetness at the end. I was expecting the bitterness of citrus that I have tasted in lime honey, but it isn't there. Instead there is a subtle orange blossom perfume, but it is very delicate and fleeting. Given the opaque quality of the honey, I also expected a texture of fine crystals, but it isn't there either. It is as smooth as silk. It lingers momentarily, and then quickly melts.

mandarin honey

This honey is a fine quality honey that could be used in tea, on toast or hot cereal, or in baking. It has an unusual thickness and delicate flavor, however, so might be best eaten straight out of the jar so as to maximize the appreciation of its uniqueness.

 You can buy this honey online or find it in the US at Whole Foods Supermarkets.

Maya Miel, Oxkutzcab, Yucatan, Mexico

Oxkutzcab (red), Yucatan peninsula in Mexico

My friend Barbara recently vacationed in Mexico and  brought me back honey from Oxkutzcab, a town in the Yucatan state of Mexico. Interestingly, according to Wiki the name 'Oxkutzcab' in the Yucatec Maya language means 'place of ramon, tobacco and honey.' This sounds very promising. But first, what is ramon? It turns out it is a tree (Brosimum alicastrum) known as the breadnut or Maya nut tree and is part of the family of trees that includes mulberries and figs. In some indigenous Mesoamerican languages it is known as 'ox,' and I'm assuming the 'Ox' in 'Oxkutzcab' refers to it. But, back to Oxkutzcab.

Oxkutzcab is a small town, with a population of about 21,000. It is an agricultural community where sugar, tobacco, maize, fruit, and Henequen is grown. Henequen (Agave fourcroydes) is an agave. The leaves are very fibrous and are used to make rope and twine.

Iglesia a san Francisco de Asis, Oxkutzcab, Yucatan, Mexico

Oxkutzcab is also a very old town, dating back to pre-Columbian times. If you google Oxkutzcab and look for images you'll see many of a very beautiful and impressive church, the iglesia dedicada a san Francisco de Asis. According to web sources, after the Spanish conquest of Yucatan, Oxkutzcab was established as a Spanish colonial town (1550s) and Mayan temples were demolished. In their place this large Franciscan church was built. The current iteration was built between 1640-1693, and in front of it is the town's large market square.

Oxkutzcab, which has a number of interesting tourist attractions, is known for its "Festival of Oranges" (Feria de la Naranja). This isn't too surprising since the municipality of Oxkutzcab is known as the 'Orchard of the State of Yucatan.' I won't be surprised if the honey from the area has a citrus quality.

29th Annual Festival of Oranges, Oxkutzcab

The Festival of Oranges happens at the end of November each year, and as far as I can gather they celebrate everything citrus (and a few other local specialties) from local producers. I found a fantastic photos of the 29th annual festival showing a very impressive tree made of oranges and other citrus. In addition to being able to buy and sample produce, judges award prizes, there there are musicians and artists, and fireworks.

The town is also known for its tricicleros, a kind of a bicycle with two wheels in the front separated by a support, where you can transport passengers or haul loads.

Tricicleros, Oxkutzcab, Mexico

 I also found some information about beekeeping in the Yucatan. It seems that honey has been harvested in the area for as long as there have been people there. Currently there are an estimated 11,000 beekeepers in the state. More recently, to be more attractive to European buyers, some beekeepers have formed collectives that share equipment and marketing costs, and produce and harvest organic-certified honey. The rural, unspoilt area and traditional beekeeping methods make the Yucatan particularly well suited to producing organic honey. In 2011-12 it was estimated that  8-10,000 tons of honey were produced, with most of it being sold in Germany.

Maya Miel, Oxkutzcab, Yucatan, Mexico

The honey I have is packaged and produced by Maya Miel of Tekax, a small town just south of Oxkutzcab. Their website is pretty basic but states that their honey is 100% natural Yucatan honey and of the highest quality. The honey is an opaque reddish-yellow color. The opacity suggests that it has not been overly filtered so that some of the particulate matter and pollen have been retained. The honey is very thin and difficult to twirl enough on a toothpick to sample. It has an herbal first flavor with light, subtle slightly bitter (citrus?) after taste. It is not too sweet. Given how thin and runny it is I think it would be perfect drizzled on yoghurt or hot buttered toast. The flavor is delicate, however, and may be lost in baking or other cooking, though it might add a nice taste to herbal and black teas.

Raw Jamaica Plain honey, The Benevolent Bee, Jamaica Plain, MA

I was treated to some very local honey recently. I want to stress how local it was- just across the street from where I work in Jamaica Plain, a neighborhood of Boston, MA. I was surprised to find apiarists tending bees and collecting honey in what is decidedly an urban setting, with the 39 MBTA Bus coming by every 15 minutes and the Heath Street T station a short walk away. It just goes to show that if you have a mind to, you can be a beekeeper just about anywhere.

Stephanie and Emile's backyard hives

Stephanie and Emile are the urban apiarists of my Jamaica Plain honey. They (and their growing family) live in a two family walk-up surrounded by a small yard. In the yard are three hives, one of which they built themselves. Work friends and I dropped by one lunch break on a warm November afternoon to get a tour.

Stephanie showed us around, explained what we were seeing, and talked with us about her passion for bees and honey. In addition to collecting honey from their bees they also collect for an apiarist in the Metro-West region whose business is focused more on his pollination service. Their honey is raw, unpasteurized, and unprocessed. They filter only minimally to maximize retaining all the enzymes, vitamins and minerals in their honey. They harvest twice a year, in summer and in fall, and the honey is dramatically different (as you can imagine) depending on the season because the floral sources are so different.

Stephanie with one of her backyard hives

However, it is hard to say what the floral sources actually are. Jamaica Plain is home to a large portion of the Emerald Necklace, a series of connecting parks designed and built by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 19th century. If fact, Jamaica Pond, part of the Emerald Necklace, is a stone's throw away from Stephanie and Emile house. It is a kettle pond- which, according to wiki is a "shallow, sediment-filled body of water formed by retreating glaciers or draining flood waters." It has walking paths, wooden benches looking out over the pond, geese in fall and spring, and a variety of mature trees. Is whatever is growing around Jamaica Pond the source of the honey? Could be, but bees have a range of a few miles and within the catchment area of Stephanie and Emile's bees there are other parks that may tempt them to go farther afield: Olmsted Park, Franklin Park and the Arnold Arboretum, to name the larger ones. Probably safest to say that their honey is "Jamaica Plain whatever" honey.

A Sampling of Benevolent Bee Products

Apart from honey Stephanie and Emile also manufacture (by hand) beeswax candles, balms, salves and soaps, and offer courses for, and assistance to, new beekeepers. They sell their honey and other products under "The Benevolent Bee" label (they also do all of their own labels and packaging!). They have a lovely website with lots of information and photos. You can buy directly from their website, through Etsy, and/or at local farmers' markets and craft venues.

The Benevolent Bee Honey, Jamaica Plain, MA

The honey I have was harvested in  August 2013. It is a mellow yellow, more of a lemony yellow than sunflower yellow, slightly cloudy (indicative of all the particulate matter that hasn't been filtered out- a good sign of minimally processed honey) honey of medium to thin consistency. It is a very smooth honey that isn't too sweet. It has a delicate herby (eucalyptus?) flavor with citrus undertones that ends with a subtle fresh, almost minty after taste. It has the perfect consistency for drizzling on thick plain yoghurt or on hot buttered toast.

A big thank you to Stephanie for inviting us into her home and sharing her passion and expertise of all things bees and honey!

Miel d'Acacia (Acacia (Black Locust) honey) Brive-la-Gaillarde, France

According to Wiki, prior to 2005 Acacia was a genus of shubs and trees that contains about 1,300 species. Most (>950) are native to Australia and the rest spread around warm-temperate regions including Europe, Africa, southern Asia and North and South America. In 2005 the genus was divided into five separate genera. The genus Acacia was retained for most Australian species and a few in tropical Asia, Madagascar and the Pacific Islands. Most species outside of Australia (and a few Australian species) were reclassified as genera Vachiella and Senegalia, and a few dozen species from the Americas were classified under the genera Acaciella and Mariosousa. To get a better appreciation of the diversity and geographic location of this genus of shrubs/trees I direct you to the French Acacia wiki-site. Of note, the names 'acacia' comes from the Greek for thorn, 'akis.' Also of interest, most Australian acacias are not thorny, while most non-Australian ones are. This makes me wonder how acacia got its name when most of the genera are Australian and not thorny. The answer is that Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, is credited with first describing the acacias and his description is based on a thorny African species. Imagine if he had been working in Australia, the acacias would be called something completely different.

Acacia blooms

 Changing the taxonomy was apparently a very controversial move.Those who don't agree with the changes continue to use the old taxonomy. All this to say that it is a little bit confusing to know what Genus species to attribute to the source of the acacia honey I have that originates in France.

To complicate matters, there is a tree commonly called 'False Acacia' (Robinia pseudoacacia) or 'Black Locust' that is widely found in Europe and North America, as well as in other regions (it is native to North America but has been successfully cultivated in other countries). This is the tree that I had always known as 'acacia.' In fact some online research state that Robinia pseudoacacia is the source of acacia honey in France. Could it be that Acacia honey is in fact not Acacia honey, but Black Locust honey? I think this is the case (!)

Black Locust (False Acacia) blooms

It seems that Black Locust is a major honey plant. It has a very short (about a week) blooming period (usually at the end of May and beginning of June). Blooms, which are extremely fragrant, are very sensitive to weather conditions, though, and this results in inconsistent honey productions year to year.

Apart from an excellent source for honey production, Black Locust wood is hard, resistant to rot and durable, making it suitable for furniture, flooring, etc. It is also planted for fire wood as it grows quickly in a variety of soils. The bark and leaves of the Black Locust are toxic but the seeds, young pods and flowers are edible; whatever poisons they contain are sensitive to heat. I can personally attest to this. My aunt makes acacia doughnuts by coating the flowers in pancake batter, quickly deep-frying them in oil and serving them with powdered sugar. The flowers have a very sweet, floral fragrance and the doughnuts taste as good as they smell. Acacia doughnuts are a real treat and a sign that summer has almost arrived.

Acacia doughnuts (beignets d'acacia)

My acacia honey comes from Brive-la-Gaillarde in France and was produced and distributed by Armondo and Dominque Filipe who are apiarists near Ussac, just north of  Brive-le-Gaillarde. Brive-la-Gaillarde is located in the south west of France in the Limousin region in the Corrèze department. The Filipes have produce honey and other products under the "Miel du pays de Brive" et "Limousin Gourmand" brands for over 15 years, and also make and sell hives.They have a wonderful website describing their operation and products (including acacia, bourdaine (black alder), tilleul (linden), montagne (mountain) and Châtaigner (chestnut) honeys, royal jelly and pollen). They also welcoming visitors, in case you are ever in this lovely region of France.

Brive-la-Gaillarde, France (in red)

 Their story is interesting. In 1995, out of curiosity, they bought 2 hives. Fast forward 15 years and they now have >400 and a thriving honey business. Also of note, the Filipe's label for their honey depicts St. Martin's church in Brive-la-Gaillarde (see honey photo below).

If the truth be told, I've had this honey for a while. I got in on a trip to Limousin years ago (the label says that it is best to consume it by 2004!) Acacia honey is usually a very clear, very light yellow color, but my honey has mellowed and is now a robust reddish-orange, although still very clear. It has a medium consistency and a very clean, uncomplicated, delicately floral, moderately sweet taste from beginning to end. Given how long I've had this honey I can confirm that acacia honey is not a fast crystallizer. In fact, even after all these years, this honey is clear and crystal free. 

Acacia (Black Locust) honey From Brive-la-Gaillarde, France

Acacia honey is ideal drizzled on plain yoghurt, in teas (the flavor is delicate and won't change the taste too much), in hot cereal or in baking. It is also very tasty on its own. The fact that is is a very slow crystallizer also makes it a good choice to spread on toast or for people who don't use honey much but when they do don't want to warm it up to get rid of crystals.

 

Miel de châtaignier (Chestnut Honey), Desaignes, France

Desaignes, France (in red)

The chestnut honey that I have comes from producers Stephanne and Sylvie Manganello. They have a farm in Hameau de Grangeon near Desaignes (Ardèche) close to the north side of the Monts d'Ardèche regional natural park. They produce honey, propolis, pollen, royal jelly and spiced, honey bread.

It is an absolutely beautiful part of France. Desaignes is surrounded by rolling hills, vineyards and woodlands. Desaignes is also listed as one of the villages of Ardèche 'with character' because of its monuments and architectural qualities. It has a Protestant church, gothic houses, and at the center of the old medieval section of the town is the Chateau de Desaignes, a 15th century, fortified chateau. It is open to visitors and houses a museum.

Chateau de Desaignes

 The area is also known for its chestnuts. Of note the park, which was created in 2001, was the result, in large part, of the efforts of chestnut growers in the area to preserve the region's cultural and natural heritage. Also of interest, the Ardèche chestnut was given the 'appellation d'origne contrôlée' or 'AOC' label in June 2006 for its fresh chestnuts as well as its dry chestnuts, pieces of dry chestnuts, entire peeled chestnuts and chestnut puree. Receiving the AOC is a great honor as it is official recognition of quality. The Ardèche produces about 50% of France's chestnuts, so it is a very big deal.  

European Chestnut in Bloom

I'm always amazed at how many different types of the same plant or tree there are. Chestnut trees, which belong to the same family as beech and oak, consist of nine different species.  According to wiki, the four main species are the European, Chinese, Japanese, and American chestnut. The European chestnut (Castanea sativa) is the only chestnut in Europe, and while in appearance it is very similar to the horse chestnut, it isn't related to the horse chestnut at all. So, I think it is safe to say that the honey I have is European chestnut honey. Within a species there are a number of varieties. In the Ardèche 65 different varieties of European chestnut are grown, with the most well known being: Comballe, Bouche Rouge, Sardonne, Précoce des Vans, and Merle. 

Miel de châtaignier (Chestnut Honey)

My honey has a very deep brown-ish, mellow color with red undertones that are more obvious in bright light. I've had it for a while but it is still liquid, which, while unusual for many other types of honey, is not so unusual for chestnut honey- it is a slow crystallizer. This is apparently due to its high proportion of fructose. It is a very thick honey with a pungent, somewhat bitter, herbal taste, with the bitterness accentuated in the after taste. This honey is not for everyone. It has a very distinct and strong flavor that hardly resembles the sweat, floral taste that more typical honeys have. It is much too flavorful for a delicate tea, but might be very tasty on hot buttered toast, in a strong dark tea, with goat cheese, or in baking.
bon appétit!

 

Oak Forest Honey, Aley, Lebanon (Jabal el Sheikh Honey)

Lebanon (officially known as the Lebanese Republic) is an eastern Mediterranean country that borders Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south.

Lebanon

Lebanon has a long history of human settlement, dating back thousands of years. It was home to the Phoenicians (1550 to 539 BC), and then later (64 BC) was part of the Roman Empire. The Ottoman Empire also ruled it for many centuries, after which the French governed it (post WWI). It finally gained independence in 1943.

Given its maritime tradition and history, it has an interesting cultural and religious heritage that is reflected in the diversity of the people who live there. For instance, the Maronites and the Druze call it home.


It is a rather small country, roughly 217 km by 80 km, that has the Mount Lebanon mountain chain running through the center of it. These mountains rise from sea level to about 2,100 meters and contain a wealth of micro-ecosystems and biodiversity.

The Mount Lebanon mountain chain is known for its forests, especially the Lebanese cedar forests. In fact if you think about "forest" in Lebanon, the Lebanese cedar probably comes to mind. This is not surprising since forests above 1300 meters are dominated by the Lebanese cedar. In fact, the Lebanese cedar is  a symbol of Lebanon and appears on the Lebanese flag.

Lebanese Flag showing Lebanese cedar

 

But Lebanese forests have more than just Lebanese cedars. Of note, and of particular interest for this blog, oak (Quercus spp.) also grows there. 

 

There are a lot of different kinds of oaks, over 600, in fact. I tried to figure out what kind of oak might be growing in Lebanon; there is a Lebanon oak (Quercus libani) which seems like a safe bet. 

Quercus libani

When you think of how bees make honey you probably think of them flitting from flower to flower collecting nectar which they then transform into honey. While this is how bees make honey from floral sources, it isn't how they make  honey from forest sources, like oak. In fact, honey from forest sources is made from "honeydew" which is collected by aphids (most usual) or other sap sucking insects/caterpillars (less usual). Aphids excrete honeydew, a sweet substance, as a byproduct of consuming plant sap. Bees then collect it, process it with enzymes, and make honey. Honeydew, however, is chemically different from nectar and results in a honey that is darker, more aromatic, and has a higher mineral and antioxidant content. In fact some honeydew honeys reportedly have one hundred times the level of antioxidants as a cup of green tea. It is not surprising that medicinal qualities have been attributed to honeydew honeys.

 

There are many different types of honeydew honeys depending on the sap source and type of aphid (or other creature) that collects it. For oak honeydew honey, the most common aphids are Tuberculalus annulalus, and T. borealis.  In the hierarchy of honeydew honeys, spruce and silver fir, however are thought to produce the best quality of honeydew honeys.

Mountainous Oak Forest Honey, Lebanon

The oak honey that I have is produced by Jabal el Sheikh out of Aley, Lebanon. They have a lovely website but mostly in Arabic, so I'm not able to glean much about their operation other than they produce a variety of honeys and honey products (e.g. pollen).

I have one of the itty-bitty sampler jars of their Mountainous Oak Forest honey. It is a deep, warm amber color and of medium thickness. It is an uncomplicated honey- true sweetness with no changes in flavor throughout. It is somewhat floral, however, which surprised me. I was expecting a more smokey, rich flavor of other forest honeys that I've had. It does have a warm, herbal undertone though, so it isn't completely "simple." Overall, I'd say it was a tasty honey. It isn't strong, so would be good in tea, hot cereal or on yoghurt, or used in cooking or baking.