Gallberry Honey
I had the opportunity to try a jar of Topanga Quality Honey – Gallberry Honey.
First off, what is a gallberry? The gallberry is in the holly family and is mostly found in eastern US coastal regions.
In my reading, they said the flavor was similar to sage honey which is one of my favorites. The Gallberry Honey was sweeter with a slightly citrusy front. The consistency was thick. The batch I tasted was a medium amber color which probably means that it was not pure gallberry honey (the pure is supposed to be a light amber color).
It is really hard to get pure gallberry honey since other plants are blooming at the same time in the same location. One of the cool things about gallberry honey is it is slower to crystallize.
This honey was very tasty, I definitely could see using this honey in cooking (honey bbq chicken wings!!!) as well as normal uses (like in my morning coffee). I still like the sage honey better because it has a more savory nuance but the gallberry honey was really good.
I wasn’t able to find a link to this same honey. It’s possible it is out of season or that the beekeepers simply haven’t set up their hives in the same area this season.
So, here’s a link to another trusted source via AMAZON.
Buckwheat Honey
I recently was at the Valley Hive in the L.A. area. It’s a nursery with a gift shop and I acquired my next honey selection. This time I chose Buckwheat Honey. I did not know what to expect with this selection. When I think of buckwheat, I don’t think abundant flowers.
Boy, was I wrong, check out the picture I found of a field of buckwheat plants in bloom. It is a sea of white flowers. I also found out that buckwheat is not a wheat at all, it is related to rhubarb and bees really like it.
The jar of honey that I bought is a very pretty dark gold color. For me the taste was not overly sweet and had a malt essence. The aftertaste lingered as the flavor softened with no bitterness, no sharpness. I can imagine using this honey in cooking, not just sweet, savory (think glazed turkey). It was yummy in my coffee, just adding a hint of honey flavor without too much sweetness but enough to mellow the coffee. I like this honey almost as much as I like the sage honey. Not quite but almost.
Have you tried any new honey lately? This looks like a good one: Buckwheat Honey
Olive Honey
I got stuck on a layover in the Phoenix Airport recently. Okay, let me rephrase that: As a result of an extended layover in Phoenix, I got an opportunity to spend some time in one of the airport gift shops. I hit gold!
There was a surprising selection of local honey in the little store. I killed more that a few minutes of waiting time looking at the different types of honey. I finally settle on something that I had never had before Olive Blossom Honey from the Valley Honey Company. I visited the company’s website and found they are a family owned business and as a result of decline in farming acreage in Maricopa county, the company has evolved into a migratory beekeeping operation. Which means they transport the bee hives to different geographic locations to pollinate crops.
For example, they transport hives to almond orchards in California and when pollination season is complete bring the hives back to Arizona to complete the honey process. This company keeps the honey in the raw state and does not heat, filter or blend their product.
First look at the honey, I noticed the color which was a dark gold almost brown. The consistency was a medium viscosity, not too thick but not runny. What really surprised me was the taste. I did not know what to expect from olive blossoms. It was so mild. There was no sweet overload that some honeys have and no overpowering blast of floral that is evident in like wildflower honeys. I tried it straight out of the jar and the flavor was subtle, definitely honey but with an almost savory aspect.
I could see using this product in cooking proteins like pork or chicken that benefit from a little sweetness without overpowering and making it a honey dish. I did try it in my morning coffee and it was a nice, gentle sweetness.
I highly recommend olive honey, and it appears to be somewhat hard to come by.
Orange Blossom Honey
As I mentioned in a previous post, I participated in a series of beekeeping workshops. The first two sessions have been held at The Valley Hive, a local plant nursery with a small gift shop. In the shop they have a selection of raw/local honey which I made a point of checking out and buying one to take home.
I loved the store’s tagline, “SAVE THE BUZZ”. Too cute. I decided to try the orange blossom honey first. Golden color, with a very thick consistency.
The flavor was very mild, not overly orangey. Subtle tones that blended well with both food and drink. I pair the honey with butter on toasted bread; with sunflower butter; and of course, in my coffee.
I was very satisfied with the quality of this honey and looked forward to what the next selection will be.
