{"id":34046,"date":"2018-04-26T07:45:03","date_gmt":"2018-04-26T11:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=34046"},"modified":"2021-08-24T15:52:23","modified_gmt":"2021-08-24T19:52:23","slug":"honey-cheese-pairing-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/honey-cheese-pairing-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Ultimate Guide to Honey and Cheese"},"content":{"rendered":"

I<\/span>t\u2019s no surprise that paradise has long been imagined as a land flowing with milk and honey. Dairy and nectar might just be nature\u2019s most exquisite gifts: forage and flowers transformed, within the bodies of living things, into substances that nourish while embodying botanical complexity.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, here at culture<\/strong>, our idea of utopia trends toward a land of milk. But since we\u2019re pairing<\/a> fanatics, there\u2019s definitely at least one honey river flowing in our imagined paradise. Besides, what would milk be without bees, the pollinators that sustain the plants that feed livestock? Across ecosystems, milk and honey are inextricably linked; on our plates, the combination is its own little nirvana\u2014rich, plentiful, and simply divine.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s delve into the sweet stuff in all its renditions, from booze to medicine, hive sustenance to cheese plate pairing star. Trust us: The land of honey definitely merits a detour.<\/p>\n

To understand this melliferous miracle, peek into the hive.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

1. <\/strong>Flowers and bees have evolved side by side, forming a symbiotic relationship. The blossom produces sweet nectar to attract the bee, which in turn transfers its pollen to other flowers, germinating the next generation.<\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> An adult worker bee reaches its straw-shaped tongue into the flower to draw out nectar, which it stores in its body in a special \u201choney sac.\u201d There, digestive enzymes start breaking down the nectar\u2019s starch into glucose and fructose. <\/p>\n

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3. <\/strong>The adult worker bee returns to the hive, which harbors a colony with a complex social structure. Here, young worker bees secrete wax to build and maintain the honeycomb, a single queen bee lays eggs, and drone bees mate with the queen. <\/p>\n

4. <\/strong>Worker bees deposit the now-concentrated nectar in a thin film on the honeycomb. Once the combs are full, bees seal them shut with a wax layer. Here the honey continues to ripen, with enzymatic changes resulting in the development of flavor and aroma.  <\/p>\n

5. <\/strong>The beekeeper removes a frame from the hive, then removes the wax layers used to seal the honeycombs shut. At this point, the honey can be consumed or stored. Some beekeepers use a centrifuge to encourage honey removal from the frames, a strainer to remove bits of wax, or heat to extend shelf life.<\/p>\n

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Milk & Honey<\/h2>\n

Kasey Francia, ACS CCP and assistant manager at the Bleecker Street outpost of Murray’s Cheese<\/a> in New York City, composes a platter showcasing her favorite honey pairings.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Caseificio Quattro Portoni Quadrello di Bufala<\/strong><\/a> + Honeygirl Meadery Blueberry Mead
\n<\/em>\u201cThe high butterfat of the water buffalo\u2019s milk perfectly balances a sweet drink like mead, allowing the tartness of the blueberries to shine through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murray\u2019s Cavemaster Reserve \/ K\u00e4serei Tufertschwil Annelies<\/strong><\/a> + Mitica Oak Honey<\/em>
\n\u201cThis combo applies one of our main pairing principles\u2014to marry like flavors with one another. Both the cheese and the honey have rich notes of woods and nuts; together, they taste like a peanut butter and honey sandwich.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jasper Hill Farm Bayley Hazen Blue<\/strong><\/a> + White Gold Honey<\/em>
\n\u201cBlue cheese and honey is a great combo for those who are wary of blue cheeses; the honey has just enough sweetness to mellow the spicy notes of the Bayley Hazen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vermont Creamery Coupole<\/strong><\/a> + Red Bee Farmhouse Honeycomb<\/em>
\n\u201cNot only do these two look visually stunning side by side, but the delicate sweetness of the honeycomb subdues the tang and acidity of the soft goat\u2019s milk cheese. The textural contrast between crunchy honeycomb and smooth, silky cheese also creates the perfect bite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roncal PDO<\/strong><\/a> + Mike\u2019s Hot Honey<\/em>
\n\u201cThis honey causes heat on the palate, but it\u2019s soothed by the buttery sheep\u2019s milk cheese, which in turn yields a subtle sweetness that marries with the honey.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ask a Beekeeper<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What is monofloral honey and how do you make it?<\/strong>
\nAndrea Paternoster is a third-generation nomadic beekeeper in Italy. He owns Mieli Thun<\/a>, a monofloral honey company started by his grandfather in 1921.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Monofloral honey is harvested from bees that live near the blossoms of a particular flower, therefore obtaining most of their nectar from that flower. At Mieli Thun, we move our bees in search of specific blooming flowers\u2014a bit like a shepherd who moves his herd in search of greener pastures. It\u2019s a beautiful job with plenty of contact with nature.<\/p>\n

For example, we make our coriander honey during the first week of June. During one night, when all the bees have returned home, we move them to an area near coriander farms where the plants are just beginning to bloom. We open the doors of the hive in the early morning before sunrise, and after a few hours the bees are in flight searching for flowers. They quickly find the white, fragrant blossoms and collect the nectar. In this way, we obtain pure honey from that flower.<\/p>\n

The taste of that honey is very different from the leaf or seed of the plant; it\u2019s fruity and fragrant, with notes of toffee, caramel, cooked milk, and tropical fruit. A professional taster should be able to verify the monofloral origin of the honey just from sensory analysis. But its origin can also be confirmed in a laboratory, where the pollen itself can be analyzed.<\/p>\n

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How to Taste Honey: Pro Tips from Marina Marchese<\/h2>\n

When we treat honey like a homogeneous condiment, we don\u2019t give it the credit it deserves. \u201cThe general public seems to think that all honey tastes the same,\u201d says Marina Marchese<\/a>, co-author of The Honey Connoisseur<\/em> (Black Dog & Leventhal, 2013). \u201cBut there are thousands of different varietals, each with its own unique flavor profile.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marchese should know. Aside from being an experienced beekeeper, she trained as an expert in honey sensory analysis in Italy and founded the American Honey Tasting Society. Marchese calls herself a \u201choney sommelier,\u201d a concept that doesn\u2019t seem like much of a stretch given the striking variety in the product and its link to the land\u2014a level of complexity akin to wine.<\/p>\n

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