Comb Sweet CombHoney and Cheese Pairings

Amina Harris, Director, Honey and Pollination Center, Robert

Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science

Marie Simmons, Author, Taste of Honey

Darrell Corti, President, Corti Brothers, Grocers and Wine

Merchants; Sacramento, CA

Comb Sweet Comb

• Learn how honey is produced

• Hear how why varietal honey is so special

• Discover new words for describing honey

• Find ways and reasons to use unique, locals honeys

Definition• A substance made when the nectar and sweet deposits from plants

are gathered, modified and stored in the honeycomb by honey bees.

• The addition of any other substances, including water or other sweeteners, is not allowed.

National Honey Board

About Pollination• Worker Bees fly from flower to flower,

gathering nectar and pollinating many of our fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices and even cotton.

• Where honeybees don’t or can’t do this work, bats, hummingbirds, insects and native bees step in.

• These animals, birds and insects pollinate a third of all the food we eat.

How Is Honey Produced?

• Bees collect nectar.

• They store it in wax cells in the hive.

• Before capping each cell, they fan to evaporate the water.

• Once the nectar has dried enough, they cap cell with wax.

• Honey matures over time.

• A single bee produces a ½ tsp of honey in her lifetime.

From Frame to Jar• Bees store their honey in frames.

• Beekeepers place frames in an extractor.

• A spinning extractor flings honey to the walls of the extractor’s outer tank.

• Honey drizzles down the sides then is strained to remove wax and contaminants.

• Honey is bottled.

Tips for Tasting Honey• Warm to room temperature.

• Sniff and note what you smell. Note the color.

• Stir honey to release volatiles.

• Taste a small amount. Let it sit on your tongue.

• Drizzle a small amount of the honey on the cheese provided and taste the two together.

Tasting #1: Annabella Buffalo Mozzarella

Thanks to Annabella Buffalo Cheeses. Visit: www.annabellacheese.com

Paired with Montaina ‘High Plains’ Sweet Clover Honey

High Plains: Dakotas, MontanaSpicy and delicate; Light in color

Honey donated by:Moon Shine Trading CompanyDivision of Z Specialty FoodWoodland, CA ● www.zspecialtyfood.com

Tasting #2: Vermont Creamery’s Coupole

Thanks to Vermont Creamery: www.vermontcreamery.com

Paired With: Georgian Sourwood Honey

Tennessee, Carolinas to GeorgiaLight and aromaticConsidered one of the finest honeys in

the world!

Honey donated by: Mtn Honey, Clarkesville, GA ● www.mtnhoney.com

Using a Flavor Wheel

Tasting #3: Marin French Triple Crème

Brie

Thanks to Marin French. Visit: www.marinfrenchcheese.com

Paired With: California Eucalyptus Honey

Northern California Coastal AreasDark amber and butterscotch flavorMany kinds of trees – only a few

produce honey

Photos from Wikipedia

Honey donated by: Beekind, Sebastopol, CA

www.beekind.com.com

Tasting #4: Hook’s Creamery’s “EWE

CALF to be KIDding Me” Blue

Thanks to Hook’s Creamery. Visit: www.hookscheese.com

Paired With: Idaho Snowberry Honey

Northwestern United States. Light in Color; Spicy flavor. Grows throughout the country.

Honey donated by:Moon Shine Trading CompanyDivision of Z Specialty FoodWoodland, CA ● www.zspecialtyfood.com

Forms Honey Comes In

• Liquid Honey

• Comb Honey

• Crystallized Honey

Comb Honey

Comb honey donated by:Moon Shine Trading CompanyDivision of Z Specialty FoodWoodland, CA ●www.zspecialtyfood.com

Photos by Kathy Keatley Garvey

What is a Honey “Varietal”?

o Large acreage of a single bloom.

o This bloom should last 2 or more weeks.

o Beekeepers need to know when to move their hives into an area and when to close them up, remove the frames and take their bees elsewhere.

o Good varietals are 80-95% pure.

Where is Honey Produced?

Some honeys are unique to geographic regions:

o Orange Blossom: Florida, Texas and California

o Tupelo: Georgia and Florida

o Blueberry: Maine and the Northwest

o Lavender: France (Small amounts produced in US)

o Lehua: Hawaii

o Acacia: Native to the USSome similar honeys have different names depending on their

locations:

o Mesquite from the Southwest is similar – even identical to – Kiawe from Hawaii

o Christmas Berry from Hawaii is the Brazilian Pepper Plant also found in Florida

Varietal Honey Labeling • If a label says Orange Blossom, Star Thistle, Blueberry, or Pomegranate:

o The nectar source listed need only be the predominant floral source

o Varietal Honey may be blended with other honeys

o Country of Origin should be listed if it is NOT from the United States

• Organic: No honey produced in the continental United States is Certified Organic

• Non-GMO: Little honey produced in the United States is Certified Non-GMO

• Terminology: Heated, Filtered, Unfiltered, Raw, Natural

Resources for Honey

Marie will be signing her book on Thursday, from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. here at the conference.

Amina will be selling the HoneyFlavor Wheel afterwards or online at:

http://honey.ucdavis.edu