A Taste of Honey
Posted on: September 4, 2022
Oh, Honey. The ambrosial, sticky and sweet-tasting nectar created by bees is more multifaceted than most know it for. Butter, alcohol, sauces, you name it! Locally, Ontario businesses have taken notice and expanded their product lines into this sweet sector. This superfood is ready to show off its versatility!
For example, fermented honey blended with water produces ‘mead’—a honey alcohol. LCBO carries many honey-infused beverages such as Honey Bee Elixir from Barrie, an all-natural craft liqueur that gives a smooth palate with a pleasant bittersweet finish to any cocktail and Ontario Wild Honey Botanical Gin by Trafalgar Artisanal Distillery. They infuse their gin with Ontario wildflower honey, creating a lightly sweet, citrusy gin with just a hint of juniper. Looking for a nice, light and sweet, flavoured beer with a citrus flair? Take a swig of Tomorrow Brew Co.’s Honey Ginger Shandy.
As we all know, honey is a fabulous natural sweetener for . . . tea! If you are looking for some great tea to dip your honey into, then make sure to also support REVL Tea at RELISH The Foodie Event. They specialize in fine organic, loose-leaf teas and tisanes from around the world with minimal environmental impact. I suggest their Jasmine Gold Dragon Green Tea, its abundant jasmine character and heavenly scent is transferred to the tea from jasmine trees that come into bloom only during May and June!
From grilling to roasting, honey can be used with just about any cooking method, and it can be used in recipes served either hot or cold. This easy recipe: Honey-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes on Whipped Feta from LCBO’s Food & Drink website uses amber honey, olive oil and garlic to roast tomatoes and paired it with a zesty whipped feta! Yummy. For dessert, finesse your baking skills and create a Burnt Honey Pie. Burning honey is actually less temperamental than caramel and creates this pie’s melt-in-your-mouth velvety texture.
Peruse the shelves of your local Winners and Metro as they are fine sources for honey. Or make a beeline straight to your local producer for the honey ingredients in the recipes above!
THE SCOOP:
A great provider is Ontario Honey Creations, who will be at RELISH The Foodie Event’s Tastemakers’ Marketplace curated by BRIKA. This local company is a producer of seasonal terroir honey, honey vinegar and mead. Plus, explore their Instagram page for behind-the-scenes peeks of their beekeeping and farm experiences (they now have chickens and piggies!). I previously purchased the Ginger Creamed Honey at Cloverdale’s Eats and Beats event this past Winter. The mouth-watering bold taste of blended ginger and honey helped keep me warm all season long.
Make your days sweet as honey by visiting Cloverdale’s RELISH The Foodie Event on September 17 and 18 from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. Say hello to our #bestfoodiefriendsforever Ontario Honey Creations, REVL Tea and more!
Give the above recipes a try and make sure to tag @cloverdalemall in all your summer fun!
~ Gillaine, Marketing Coordinator