The colour of honey
Honey is an essential culinary symbol of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 13 this year), giving hope that the coming year will be a sweet one. At the Rosh Hashanah table, nuts are dipped in honey; cakes, stews, sauces and casseroles are sweetened with it, too. By varying the type of honey you use in cooking, you can subtly change the flavour.
The flavour of honey is determined by the type of pollen that the bees collect. Most of the honey we buy in supermarkets comes from unspecified sources, so it's usually a mix of flowers such as clover, alfalfa, canola, apple and other fruit blossoms and wildflowers.
But in agricultural or wilderness areas where one type of crop or plant is flowering over a large area, beekeepers can collect honey that has specific flower sources and thus distinct, complex yet subtle flavours. Don't confuse these honeys with infused honeys, those to which flavours are added.
At supermarkets, you will often find some delicious honey varietals, such as:
Blueberry (Canada; Capilano Labonté brand): robust, well-rounded flavour
Buckwheat (Canada; many brands): dark with malt and molasses flavour
Eucalyptus (Australia; Capilano Labonté brand): medium amber colour with bold, slightly medicinal flavours
Other honey varietals come from small producers and are sold primarily at farmer's markets and specialty shops; here are some favourites you might come across:
Almond (Spain): pale and creamy
Chestnut (Italy, France, Spain): rich amber with a touch of pleasant bitterness
Linden (Canada and Europe): fragrant and mellow
Melon (Canada): rich amber with just a hint of melon
Orange Blossom (Florida and Mediterranean countries): very fragrant with mild flavour
Raspberry (Canada): delicate aroma and good body
Rosemary (Spain, France and California): perfumed
Thyme (Greece): fragrant and intense flavour
Tupelo (Florida and Georgia): light and fragrant
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