The Healing Powers of Honey (10 page)
Read The Healing Powers of Honey Online
Authors: Cal Orey
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LEHUA
(
Metrosideros polymorpha
): If fruity honeys, such as blueberry, are your choice of sweetness, try a taste of this Hawaiian honey with an exotic twist. Called ohia, the lehua blossom tree is found in the forests on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hawaiian organic ohia lehua blossom honey is made from the blossom of the native ohia tree. Light amber in color, this honey boasts a sweet butterscotch flavor.
Best Blends:
This Hawaiian honey is perfect with fresh fruit, premium ice creams, and homemade custard. Pairing it with fresh fruit or putting a bit in coffee will take you to the Big Island. Food in the tropics includes fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts, and coffee. This honey is rare and is prized by connoisseurs for its light, delicate flavor and creamy texture.
My Personal Tasting:
This tropical-style (my jar is from
ChefShop.com
) honey welcomed me on a prefall day and was a splendid and romantic surprise. I poured it over dark chocolate ice cream topped with chopped macadamia nuts. Savoring the sweet, light taste brought me, as one who has visited the Big Island several times, back to paradise.
(
Metrosideros polymorpha
): If fruity honeys, such as blueberry, are your choice of sweetness, try a taste of this Hawaiian honey with an exotic twist. Called ohia, the lehua blossom tree is found in the forests on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hawaiian organic ohia lehua blossom honey is made from the blossom of the native ohia tree. Light amber in color, this honey boasts a sweet butterscotch flavor.
Best Blends:
This Hawaiian honey is perfect with fresh fruit, premium ice creams, and homemade custard. Pairing it with fresh fruit or putting a bit in coffee will take you to the Big Island. Food in the tropics includes fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts, and coffee. This honey is rare and is prized by connoisseurs for its light, delicate flavor and creamy texture.
My Personal Tasting:
This tropical-style (my jar is from
ChefShop.com
) honey welcomed me on a prefall day and was a splendid and romantic surprise. I poured it over dark chocolate ice cream topped with chopped macadamia nuts. Savoring the sweet, light taste brought me, as one who has visited the Big Island several times, back to paradise.
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LEMON
(
Citrus limon
): Citrus lovers will love lemon blossom honey. Native to India and China, this tree grows in Italy and the United States, including California, Florida, and Texas.
Best Blends:
Lemon honey goes well with salads, poultry, glazes, teas, and desserts.
My Personal Tasting:
Creamed lemon honey is nice paired with whole-grain toast and superb with chamomile tea, and lemon honey jelly made my homemade apple scones nicer.
(
Citrus limon
): Citrus lovers will love lemon blossom honey. Native to India and China, this tree grows in Italy and the United States, including California, Florida, and Texas.
Best Blends:
Lemon honey goes well with salads, poultry, glazes, teas, and desserts.
My Personal Tasting:
Creamed lemon honey is nice paired with whole-grain toast and superb with chamomile tea, and lemon honey jelly made my homemade apple scones nicer.
Manuka: The Healing Honey
Enter the superstar manuka honey (
Leptospermum scoparium
), which comes from the manuka bush. This buzzedabout New Zealand healing honey boasts a distinct flavor paired with a dark, rich amber color and gooey thick molasses texture. It's a popular honey in medical research because it does have a remarkable track record of showing super antibacterial healing properties in scientific research.
Leptospermum scoparium
), which comes from the manuka bush. This buzzedabout New Zealand healing honey boasts a distinct flavor paired with a dark, rich amber color and gooey thick molasses texture. It's a popular honey in medical research because it does have a remarkable track record of showing super antibacterial healing properties in scientific research.
Not only does honey contain hydrogen peroxide, which has both antibacterial and antifungal properties, but it also contains a phytochemical that makes it even more extraordinary. Researchers have said it beats antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, such as superbug MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
But note, manuka honey sold as an edible honey and labeled “10+” will have the same antibacterial properties as a 10 percent phenol solution. Medical manuka honey, which should only be used topically, can go up to 20+.
4
4
Research has shown that manuka honey has a high antibacterial potency, which in turn helps treat skin infections and aids digestion. It also may help to stave off gum disease. When consumed regularly (it's an acquired taste and easier to use topically) it is believed to enhance well-being.
ORANGE BLOSSOM
(
Citrus sinensis
): Like other Californian honeys, this citrus favorite of mine is Asian born, but groves also are found in Arizona, Florida, and Texas. Its nectar comes from a variety of citrus sources, including orange, grapefruit, lime, and lemon trees.
Best Blends:
Goat cheese and pine nuts. Orange blossom is ideal in poultry glazes, sauces, teas, and spa beauty treatments.
My Personal Tasting:
This citrus honey, one of my favorites, gave a homemade fruit smoothie a nice tropical kick combined with fresh pineapple and coconut.
(
Citrus sinensis
): Like other Californian honeys, this citrus favorite of mine is Asian born, but groves also are found in Arizona, Florida, and Texas. Its nectar comes from a variety of citrus sources, including orange, grapefruit, lime, and lemon trees.
Best Blends:
Goat cheese and pine nuts. Orange blossom is ideal in poultry glazes, sauces, teas, and spa beauty treatments.
My Personal Tasting:
This citrus honey, one of my favorites, gave a homemade fruit smoothie a nice tropical kick combined with fresh pineapple and coconut.
Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch
One prefall afternoon, after walking my orange and white Brittanys and in between working on this honey book, ordering wood (I was sensing it's going to be a cold fall and winter), preparing my October “Earth Changes” magazine column, I whipped up a honey peach pie. I made this Deep South sweet old-fashioned dish with an edgy twistâhoney and white peachesâin the presence of my two fun-loving canines, the double-trouble sweet dog duo, who simply love it when Mom's cooking.
This time around in the kitchen, Seth, my brainiac four-year-old, put his dainty orange and white paws on the countertop and like a crafty coyote almost snagged the pie in progress. “Drop it!” I said in my best calm, assertive Dog Whisperer's type voice. My canine responded to my command on cue. The uncooked sliced peaches and pie dough didn't plop on the floor like a minor earthquake. Sethie looked up at me with his dark honey-colored eyes and said in dog-ese:
Whew! That was a close one.
The pie survived a potential pie shake-up.
Whew! That was a close one.
The pie survived a potential pie shake-up.
I tried my hands at a lattice crust because it's differentâa challenge. Peach pie is very low in cholesterol and has some protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and Câand fresh fruit pies are much lower in calories than cream pies. What's more, replacing refined table sugarâthe white stuffâwith a bit of honey will lower the high sugar content in pies. Plus, orange blossom honey is an all-purpose sweet and mild honey with a slight citrusy flavorâa fine choice for pies. The best part is twofold: the aroma of spices and honey and the perfect look fit to serve a group of queen bees.
Honey Peach Pie
7â8 fresh white peaches,
peeled and sliced in
small wedges
1 tablespoon fresh lemon
juice
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
¼ cup of orange blossom
honey
1â2 teaspoons of ground
cinnamon
cup whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons
Mediterranean-style
butter
2 store-bought crusts
peeled and sliced in
small wedges
1 tablespoon fresh lemon
juice
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
¼ cup of orange blossom
honey
1â2 teaspoons of ground
cinnamon
cup whole-wheat flour2 tablespoons
Mediterranean-style
butter
2 store-bought crusts
Place peaches in a bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice. In another bowl, combine sugar, nutmeg, honey, cinnamon, and flour. Mix with fruit and add small pieces of butter. Place in one piecrust; place the other piecrust on a plate, cut into 1-inch-wide strips. Make lattice crust, placing horizontal strips first, then vertical. Flute edges. Bake pie in 350ºF oven for about 50 minutes, till peaches are tender and bubbly and crust is golden brown. Cool. Serves 8.
PUMPKIN BLOSSOM
(
Cucurbita pepo
): Like orange blossom, this is a favorite honey of mine, especially in autumn. Produced in Oregon and California, pumpkin blossom honey is a medium amber with a warm flavor. The nectar source is the pollination of seed crops.
Best Blends:
Squash recipes.
My Personal Tasting:
I used this honey in homemade chocolate-chip pumpkin scones and muffins.
(
Cucurbita pepo
): Like orange blossom, this is a favorite honey of mine, especially in autumn. Produced in Oregon and California, pumpkin blossom honey is a medium amber with a warm flavor. The nectar source is the pollination of seed crops.
Best Blends:
Squash recipes.
My Personal Tasting:
I used this honey in homemade chocolate-chip pumpkin scones and muffins.
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SAGE
(
Salvia mellifera
): Welcome to a light-colored honey made from a variety of sage plants growing on the California coast and in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, like alfalfa, and near my home at Lake Tahoe. It's touted for its mild, delicate flavor. There are several varieties, including black button, white, purple, and mixed.
Best Blends:
Strong Italian cheeses, herbal teas, and fresh lemonade.
My Personal Tasting:
Sage honey brushed on a chicken breast gave it an herbal flavor and was a nice earthy change for me from using orange blossom or clover honey.
(
Salvia mellifera
): Welcome to a light-colored honey made from a variety of sage plants growing on the California coast and in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, like alfalfa, and near my home at Lake Tahoe. It's touted for its mild, delicate flavor. There are several varieties, including black button, white, purple, and mixed.
Best Blends:
Strong Italian cheeses, herbal teas, and fresh lemonade.
My Personal Tasting:
Sage honey brushed on a chicken breast gave it an herbal flavor and was a nice earthy change for me from using orange blossom or clover honey.
Sidr, the Priceless Honey
Meet sidr; like balsamic vinegar, this honey is pricey (it may run more than $200 a pound). A honey prized around the globe, it's guarded by Yemen's beekeepers, who go beyond the call of duty to keep it pure. Its botanical name is
Ziziphus spina-christi
and it has been tagged as sidr as well as jujube. The honey color is dark amber; the flavor is rich, and the texture is thick. Unlike other honeys that pair well with foods, this priceless gem is touted for its healing powers due to its antioxidants. Some of the health rewards you can reap from sidr include healing eye diseases, digestive woes, and respiratory infections, and it may help irregularity.
Ziziphus spina-christi
and it has been tagged as sidr as well as jujube. The honey color is dark amber; the flavor is rich, and the texture is thick. Unlike other honeys that pair well with foods, this priceless gem is touted for its healing powers due to its antioxidants. Some of the health rewards you can reap from sidr include healing eye diseases, digestive woes, and respiratory infections, and it may help irregularity.
SOURWOOD
(
Oxydendrum arboreum
): Ignore its name (like firewood honey) because this sweet, spicy honey is anything but sour. Its nectar source is the sourwood tree found in the Deep South, including Georgia and Alabama. This honey is noted for its versatile uses, from the table to cooking.
Best Blends:
Sweet berry bagels, green tea, glazed poultry.
My Personal Tasting:
I spread a homemade whole-wheat biscuit with sourwood honey and paired it with a veggie omelet and the combo was perfect, not too sweet and not too spicy, with a southern fix.
(
Oxydendrum arboreum
): Ignore its name (like firewood honey) because this sweet, spicy honey is anything but sour. Its nectar source is the sourwood tree found in the Deep South, including Georgia and Alabama. This honey is noted for its versatile uses, from the table to cooking.
Best Blends:
Sweet berry bagels, green tea, glazed poultry.
My Personal Tasting:
I spread a homemade whole-wheat biscuit with sourwood honey and paired it with a veggie omelet and the combo was perfect, not too sweet and not too spicy, with a southern fix.
Â
STAR THISTLE
(
Centaurea solstitialis
): Another versatile table honey like clover is star thistle. Touted as a noteworthy weed and plant, star thistle is found in the Midwest, California, and Oregon. It has a good flavor with a spicy punch to it.
Best Blends:
A nice sweetness to drip on nuts and cheeses.
My Personal Tasting:
Star thistle spread on warm homemade corn bread makes for a delicious comfort food as a snack or paired with a bowl of hearty soup.
(
Centaurea solstitialis
): Another versatile table honey like clover is star thistle. Touted as a noteworthy weed and plant, star thistle is found in the Midwest, California, and Oregon. It has a good flavor with a spicy punch to it.
Best Blends:
A nice sweetness to drip on nuts and cheeses.
My Personal Tasting:
Star thistle spread on warm homemade corn bread makes for a delicious comfort food as a snack or paired with a bowl of hearty soup.
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SUNFLOWER
(
Helianthus annuus
): Another impressive honey that wowed me is sunflower, probably because it boasts an Italian flair. In my living room above the fireplace mantel is artwork of sunflowersâthe nectar source is the flower head. This honey is from sunflowers found in Georgia and the northern United States, including North and South Dakota.
Best Blends:
Good with fresh fruit, savory breads, and Greek yogurt.
My Personal Tasting:
My first taste of thick and creamy Greek yogurt included sunflower honey and slices of juicy purple grapes. It was a memorable Tuscany-type treat without having to leave Northern California and one I probably would find easily south in Napa, wine country.
(
Helianthus annuus
): Another impressive honey that wowed me is sunflower, probably because it boasts an Italian flair. In my living room above the fireplace mantel is artwork of sunflowersâthe nectar source is the flower head. This honey is from sunflowers found in Georgia and the northern United States, including North and South Dakota.
Best Blends:
Good with fresh fruit, savory breads, and Greek yogurt.
My Personal Tasting:
My first taste of thick and creamy Greek yogurt included sunflower honey and slices of juicy purple grapes. It was a memorable Tuscany-type treat without having to leave Northern California and one I probably would find easily south in Napa, wine country.
Â
TULIP POPLAR
(
Liriodendron tulipifera
): This versatile honey, like clover but a bit stronger, is also a southern favorite. On tall trees with large greenish-yellow flowers from the Gulf States to New England and south Michigan honey bees will be found. The color of this honey is dark amber, but the flavor is milder than you'd expect from a dark honey. It's rich and sweet.
Best Blends:
A teaspoon or two on top of all-natural French vanilla ice cream; spread on pancakes and muffins; used in gingerbread and molasses cookies.
My Personal Tasting:
I spread this honey on homemade corn-bread muffins and used it in a batch of bran muffins.
(
Liriodendron tulipifera
): This versatile honey, like clover but a bit stronger, is also a southern favorite. On tall trees with large greenish-yellow flowers from the Gulf States to New England and south Michigan honey bees will be found. The color of this honey is dark amber, but the flavor is milder than you'd expect from a dark honey. It's rich and sweet.
Best Blends:
A teaspoon or two on top of all-natural French vanilla ice cream; spread on pancakes and muffins; used in gingerbread and molasses cookies.
My Personal Tasting:
I spread this honey on homemade corn-bread muffins and used it in a batch of bran muffins.
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TUPELO
(
Nyssa ogeche
): A premium honey thanks to tupelo trees found in Florida and southern Georgia. Tupelo honey is light amber in color, with a greenish hue. Tupelo honey boasts a mild, notable taste. Due to its high fructose content it will not crystallize for a long time.
Best Blends:
A nice honey topped over blue and robust cheeses; a glaze for pork.
My Personal Tasting:
I have not tried this honey yet due to the fact that it is in a beautiful tapered bottle and is so pretty to look at it is difficult to open the bottle and pair the honey with edibles.
(
Nyssa ogeche
): A premium honey thanks to tupelo trees found in Florida and southern Georgia. Tupelo honey is light amber in color, with a greenish hue. Tupelo honey boasts a mild, notable taste. Due to its high fructose content it will not crystallize for a long time.
Best Blends:
A nice honey topped over blue and robust cheeses; a glaze for pork.
My Personal Tasting:
I have not tried this honey yet due to the fact that it is in a beautiful tapered bottle and is so pretty to look at it is difficult to open the bottle and pair the honey with edibles.
Â
WHITE HONEY
(
Prosopis pallida
): If you get a chance to give your taste buds a rare treat, open your eyes and heart to a rare Hawaiian organic honey. It comes from the flowers of the Kiawe tree. This tree grows at sea level in nearby desert regions on the leeward side of the Big Island of Hawaii. It is a single floral source of certified organic, unheated raw honey.
Best Blends:
This exotic honey can be tossed with fresh seasonal fruit, salty, strong-flavored, and even stinky cheeses, and coffee or tea.
My Personal Tasting:
Vosges Haut-Chocolat combines efforts with Richard Spiegel's Volcano Island Honey Company. This seasonal gourmet chocolate company uses the white honey on one side next to a dark ganache, forming a decadent truffle. Each truffle is one-half organic white honey, one-half dark chocolate ganache. It is also sweet right off the spoon, which I've tried before swimming.
(
Prosopis pallida
): If you get a chance to give your taste buds a rare treat, open your eyes and heart to a rare Hawaiian organic honey. It comes from the flowers of the Kiawe tree. This tree grows at sea level in nearby desert regions on the leeward side of the Big Island of Hawaii. It is a single floral source of certified organic, unheated raw honey.
Best Blends:
This exotic honey can be tossed with fresh seasonal fruit, salty, strong-flavored, and even stinky cheeses, and coffee or tea.
My Personal Tasting:
Vosges Haut-Chocolat combines efforts with Richard Spiegel's Volcano Island Honey Company. This seasonal gourmet chocolate company uses the white honey on one side next to a dark ganache, forming a decadent truffle. Each truffle is one-half organic white honey, one-half dark chocolate ganache. It is also sweet right off the spoon, which I've tried before swimming.
Â
WILDFLOWER:
This well-loved honey by honey fans and
moi
is found around the world in an infinite number of flowers. It can be a mild, rich honey from a combination of spring, summer, and fall flowers. Autumn wildflower comes from fall plants like goldenrod, so this honey is dark, strong flavored, and rich in antioxidants.
Best Blends:
Regular wildflower honey works well in teas and drizzled over tea cakes and fresh seasonal fruit. Autumn wildflower is best in baking and sauces.
My Personal Tasting:
I simply adore regular wildflowerâit's a perfect honey at Lake Tahoe, touted for its wildflowers that bloom in late spring and summertimeâand have used it on homemade strawberry shortcake.
This well-loved honey by honey fans and
moi
is found around the world in an infinite number of flowers. It can be a mild, rich honey from a combination of spring, summer, and fall flowers. Autumn wildflower comes from fall plants like goldenrod, so this honey is dark, strong flavored, and rich in antioxidants.
Best Blends:
Regular wildflower honey works well in teas and drizzled over tea cakes and fresh seasonal fruit. Autumn wildflower is best in baking and sauces.
My Personal Tasting:
I simply adore regular wildflowerâit's a perfect honey at Lake Tahoe, touted for its wildflowers that bloom in late spring and summertimeâand have used it on homemade strawberry shortcake.
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