Honey Connoisseur: Selecting, Tasting, and Pairing Honey by C. Marina Marchese, 1579129293

Honey Connoisseur: Selecting, Tasting, and Pairing Honey, With a Guide to More Than 30 Varietals by C. Marina Marchese

Print Length: 208 Pages
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal
Publication Date: June 4, 2013
Language: English
ASIN: B0112OZ3QS
ISBN-10: 1579129293
ISBN-13: 978-1579129293
File Format: EPUB

From honey experts C. Marina Marchese, founder of Red Bee ® Honey and Kim Flottum, editor of Bee Culture Magazine comes this comprehensive introduction to the origin, flavor, and culinary uses of more than 30 varietals of honey, from ubiquitous clover to tangy star thistle to rich, smoky buckwheat.
Like wine, cheese, coffee, and chocolate, honey has emerged as an artisanal obsession. Its popularity at farmers’ markets and specialty food stores has soared as retailers are capitalizing on the trend. The Honey Connoisseur teaches consumers everything they need to know about how to taste, select, and use a diverse selection of honey.
After a brief explanation of how bees produce honey, the authors introduce the concept of terroir, the notion that soil, weather, and other natural phenomena can affect the taste of honey. As with wines, knowing the terroir of a honey varietal helps to inform an understanding of its flavor.
The book goes on to give a thorough course in the origins of more than 30 different honeys as well as step-by-step instructions, how to taste honey, describe its flavor and determine what other flavors pair best with a particular honey. Also included are simple recipes such as dressings, marinades, quick-and-easy desserts, and beverages.
Beautifully illustrated and designed, The Honey Connoisseur is the perfect book for foodies, beekeepers and locavores alike.

“Marina Marchese and Kim Flottum’s knowledge of this fascinating and increasingly popular subject is unparalleled. Together, they have composed the preeminent book about honey and its regional culinary food pairings.”
~ Nicholas Coleman, Chief Olive Oil Specialist, Eataly, NYC ~
“Eureka! This is the book I’ve been looking for. As a restaurateur who has traveled high and low in search of the world’s finest wines, I have always respected the role terroir plays in creating and nurturing a region’s culinary personality. Ever since I took up beekeeping, I’ve been on the hunt for the definitive guide to the essence of honey: how to taste it, which local factors influence its flavor, and most importantly for me, how to pair it with other ingredients like an expert.”
~ Julian Niccolini, Owner of The Four Seasons Restaurant, New York City ~
“Of all the near-perfect foods we generally take for granted, honey suffers more than most (except for cheese). The Honey Connoisseur lays it all out on the table; Marina Marchese and Kim Flottum tell the whole story including its dark side in an eloquent style. The reader will never look at the honey jar quite the same way.”
~ Max McCalman, Maître Fromager, Artisanal Premium Cheese Center, NYC ~
“With the authors’ depth of knowledge, I cannot think of a better resource on honey. This book makes me want to bake with all the varieties. Finally, a honey bible! The Honey Connoisseur is truly a great book.
~ John Barricelli, author of The Seasonal Baker and The Sono Baking Company Cookbook ~

Important reference book for mead lovers and mead makers
30 varietals of honey with flavor profiles – important reference for meadmakers and mead drinkers alike. Some overlap with Marie Simmons’ book but for the true mead geek it’s well worth it to have both because there’s lots of independent information in each of the two books. Marchese treats each different honey varietal as a different ingredient. Whether you’re deciding as a meadmaker which honey to buy or how to design your recipe for mead, melomel, or metheglin, or whether you’ve bought a bottle of mead and are trying to decide what to pair it with at home, you’ll find this useful.