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A Honey of a Tasting SIG By Sophia Markoulakis Late June, SFPFS members gathered at the home of Dianne Jacob to sample about a dozen honeys. We were greeted with warm savory scones drizzled with Tupelo honey, prepared by fellow member Mani Niall, and began tasting honeys in their unadulterated state. Armed with plastic spoons, we savored samples from the sublimely smooth to the pleasantly bitter. Niall, author of “Covered in Honey,” took us on an around-the-world tasting journey. We began with fruity and floral honeys: tupelo, sunflower, and lavender. As an all-American varietal, Tupelo honey comes from the Tupelo tree, found in the swamps of Southern states. Sunflower honey had a whipped consistency and a slight light caramel color and flavor. True lavender honey, as opposed to lavender infused honey, had classic notes of its aromatic flower. Herbal honeys are a bit darker in color, from light to medium amber, and have various stages of crystallization that some found delightful. Cretan wild thyme honey had a definite pleasant herbal aftertaste; local Marshall’s Sage Honey was mildly earthy. Avocado honey from Santa Barbara County had a balanced sweet and toasted flavor, and a molasses-like finish. Imported heather honey had the unique texture of slightly warmed marmalade and an herbal incense-like flavor. Spice honeys are even darker, with a baked spice flavor and strong aroma. Marshall’s Almond Blossom Honey was pleasantly dark tasting of roasted almond and its bark. Both Big Tree Farms’ Mango and Coffee Blossom Honey are harvested in Java. The mango honey was lighter in color and fruitier in flavor. Many preferred the coffee blossom, which was complex with tropical overtones and coffee notes. Manuka honey from New Zealand resembled caramel sauce, the plant is related to the ti tree. This honey, often used medicinally for its antiseptic properties by the Maori. Medium citrus notes led to bitterness on the palate. Niall warned tasters in advance of the Italian corbezzolo honey. Categorized as deep and earthy, this particular corbezzolo is harvested in the nationally protected regions of Tuscany by nomadic beekeepers that extract the honey by hand. The corbezzolo shrub, also referred to as a strawberry tree, produces an unusually bitter, yet palatable pine-flavored honey. The evening ended with a delicious meal prepared by tasters incorporating honey in their recipes and sharing news about their recent projects and interests. Thanks, Dianne, for being a great hostess and putting up with sticky counters and floors! |
List of Recent Events August 2008 Coffee Cupping June 2008 Honey Tasting SIG June 2008 Food Writing Book Club SIG June 2008 Digs Bistro June 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Showdown May 2008 A Visit to Careme 350 May 2008 Cooking Teachers SIG May 2008 San Mateo Members Meet May 2008 South Bay Members Connect April 2008 Wine SIG takes a Beaujolais Cruise April 2008 Demystifying the Food/Wine Dilemma March 2008 Pasta tasting
March 2008
February 2008
June 2007
June 2007
January 2007
January 2006
September 19, 2005
June 22, 2005
May 25, 2005
May 18. 2005
April 28, 2005
February 15, 2005
October 22, 2004
July 12, 2004
May 17, 2004 |
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