A
BETTER SWEET THING
So...what's old is NEW AGAIN.
Again.
A childhood in a rural area-had farms 'nearby' aka w/i 30 miles-selling fresh produce and raw honey- straight outta the beekeepers' hives. Hyper Local!
And in a NYC domicile-the original Dean+Deluca and Zabars-had high quality condiments (mostly international origins) - as the first 'specialty food stores'-so it seems-in this country.
Added pluses-Arthur Avenue, Hunts Point (Bronx), Chinatown-Little Italy-LES and the Meatpacking district all sold fresh everything else. Pretty much.
It wasn't until college-that America's love for processed foods became apparent-as some classmates meal preferences went way beyond the occasional Cheese Whiz-Marshmallow Fluff diet, and Captain Crunch cereal as dinner.
Now-the pendulum has swung back, food wise and is better yet. Urban farmers' markets sell straight off the land goods... everywhere there are humans (IRL and online options )...while elevated tastebuds for healthier-no preservative-no artificial ingredients' loaded shelf stable basics-are a given-and yay(!!!) those kinds of products are NOW easily found-because of customer wants.
Take honey, for example. What used to 'pass' for honey in many childhood homes was really a combo of colors, sugar water and barely any honey. Yikes.
No wonder-better everything- multi-tasking raw, unfiltered honey-with its natural health benefits-is in demand.
As a sweetener...honey breaks down into fructose and glucose with a lower glycemic index (aka crash and burn potential) than sugar...so it's also more desirable choice than sugar of any kind- for many folks- for that reason alone. Trace minerals and vitamins are inherent pluses, too.
AND-honey is apocalypse zombie proof- shelf stable-cause it's high acidic content (no worries-not the stomach burning kind) inhibits any bacterial growth.
BUT FOR US-the better tastes of raw unfiltered honey-that is the standout feature.
GO REGIONAL: More interesting-flavor wise...are the regional taste differences...depending on what kind of flowers-floral/fruit- the bees feasted on. That's pretty cool. Instead of a homogenized blend-our new fav-Rice's Family Local Hive Honey-delivers raw-unprocessed offerings in 19(!!!) regional versions-courtesy of its network of beekeeper suppliers-buzzing away from coast to coast. For example-the SO CAL honey-has a medium sweetness with an orange finish-citrus hints-from area bees visiting the citrus groves. No wonder honey has terroir like adjectives now-akin to wine. Even the difference in the sweetness levels is apparent in nearby New England and Northeast Local Hive Honeys. The former-has a light colored tone-and less sweet intensity-ideal for blending into recipes, in fragrant hot teas- and atop creamy cheeses
The Northeastern version- has a tad more floral hint and imo more intense finish...nice way to add distinct sweetness on breads or a fav bbq-or salad dressing. Or as a dip with the local apples-sliced up,
What else:
The Rice family---started their honey selling ways-back in 1924-in beautiful Colorado, Since then-the privately owned company has carefully expanded its reach beyond the Rocky Mountains.
Gifting?
A basket/box of Local Hive's regional 'nothing added' honey (like the Northeast) with an area's main fruit ( eg. apples/pears)-plus locally made (or you made) crackers/bread-(and a locally brewed spirit/crafts-beer)-will guarantee a repeat invite. Awesomeness points earned as a welcome gift for destination weddings too.
ADDED PLUS;
Honey subs well for granulated sugar in loads of recipes.
Inspired by Sasha Petraske-the late great cocktail master and speakeasy legend of that destination LES bar Milk & Honey??? From his Regarding Cocktails recipe bible -simple syrup-works well in iced tea and mocktails too... can be made with one part honey-three (or two) parts hot water...stir it up slowly till honey dissolves- and refrigerate if not used pronto- in an air tight container.
Tip: Bump it up with fresh mint leaves ...for that top 5 cocktail...Mojitos.
Honey is also a natural homemade beauty booster.
Add a tbsp to a tbsp of full fat yogurt and 1 tsp of powdered turmeric-mix it up and apply the paste for a leave on for ten minute clarifying-anti-inflammatory face masque...rinse off with cool water.