Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–so glad you’re here!
Today, I’m continuing my Lenten exploration into foods of the Bible. I started a couple of weeks ago by featuring bread; last week, we took a deep dive into olives and olive oil, and this week, I’m featuring honey.
Honey figures prominently as a food in the Bible, representing sustenance and abundance, describing the sweetness and delight in God’s Word, and as a description of the Promised Land, as being overflowing with milk and honey.
In daily life, honey is a versatile ingredient that can be used as a sweetener for tea, in dressings, marinades and as a spread with butter for biscuits. While it’s still sugar, it contains nutrients, such as polyphenols that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that may combat heart disease and cancer in our bodies. And because honey is antimicrobial, anti-fungal and anti-viral, it has a very long shelf life–some even claim unlimited.
There are lots of different types of honey on the market. Certainly, you can get any and all manner of honey produced by bees that have collected nectar from the blooms of clover, lavender, sage, orange blossoms and cherry blossoms to name a few. They will all have slightly different flavor profiles and sweetness levels that a honey vendor will be happy to explore with you.
But–were you aware that honey has a rich and nefarious history of crime and intrigue? Well, get another cup of coffee and follow me into the bear’s den of the buzz-worthy tale of “Operation Honeygate!” No really–it’s a real thing:
Seems there’s a lot of money in that liquid gold! More than two decades ago, the US Commerce Department infiltrated a couple of export companies and found that the fraudsters were engaging in a practice known as “honey laundering.” Honey laundering is basically sending fake or adulterated honey through different countries to obscure its origins and hide its ingredients in order to avoid customs fees. This practice flooded the US market with inexpensive, below-grade honey.
“Operation Honeygate” was uncovered, but apparently the practice of exporting adulterated honey persists, causing prices for honey to be undercut. This has led some smaller producers to find it difficult to remain profitable, and to call it quits. In addition to affecting prices, the adulterated honey probably also lacks the health benefits of raw, unfiltered honey.
So what’s a honey-lover to do? Here’s my two-cents:
Buy your honey at your local farmer’s market. It’ll cost a little more, but you’ll know you’re getting what you pay for: unadulterated honey.
Plus, local honey just tastes better. By buying local, you’ll find that you get the nuanced flavors that come with real honey. I remember the first time I tasted honey from my farmer’s market–I detected floral notes and hints of cinnamon which were different and wonderful, and a huge departure from the sweet, but one-note-samba generic honey I got from the grocery store.
When you see the words “raw and unfiltered” from a small-production facility in your backyard, you can generally be assured that you’re getting the real deal.
And as a bonus, buying local is always better for the environment because it travels down the street to the market instead of halfway around the world. Win-win.
Today’s recipe for honey-glazed butternut squash showcases the warm, sweet flavors of butternut squash, bathed in a spicy honey-butter glaze. Served here with a lamb chop, it would also be delicious as a side to pork chops or a filet.
Join me tomorrow for more fun with honey. Until then,
Peace, love and good food,
Keri
