The Healing Powers of Honey by Cal Orey Page A

honey of Tasmania, Australia, is well known among honey lovers with a sophisticated palate—and it is an acquired taste, like 70 percent dark chocolate. A darker amber color offers decadent notes of sugar and spice. Best Blends: A good pair with French bread and cheeses with a strong flavor. My Personal Tasting: I dripped a small amount of the dark syrup over fresh, warm whole-grain French bread from the Sierra Mountains at Lake Tahoe with a few slices of sharp cheddar cheese.
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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.
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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.

    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.
    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
    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.

    Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch
    One prefall afternoon, after walking my orange and white Brittanys and in