May 2015
“Well, no two honey varieties are alike. Each has a unique flavor. But, unlike wine, I don’t make the honey”, says Brian, GCFL Adventure Guide and owner of local Smiley Honey. “The bees make it. We just bottle it.”
Tupelo is a premier honey crop in this country, and the epicenter of tupelo honey is Gulf County, Florida. This rare, precious honey has a very short – two to three week – season and the white blossoms are extremely fragile.
However, it may surprise you to know that Smiley Honey is currently bottling seven different varieties! “Holly honey is another excellent, local honey. It is second only to tupelo honey in terms of popularity, with a very pleasant and mild floral flavor,” says Brian.
The flavor for each honey comes from the nectar source. We never add additional flavors, he adds. “As each flower is unique, so is each of our honey varieties unique. Blackberry flavor has a pronounced blackberry flavor. Sourwood honey has a subtle anise flavor. Cotton honey has a slight kick, giving a pleasant and very faint tingle at the back of your throat. Orange blossom honey is very sweet, with just a hint of citrus.”
Donald (Smiley) has been a great mentor for me and he always said you have to treat the honey the right way. Don’t overheat it. Don’t over process it. Keep all vitamins, enzymes and minerals intact and in the honey. Over-processed honey is nutritionally equivalent to white sugar. Raw honey has variety and great nutritional benefits. When bottled and stored properly, honey never goes bad. It is one of nature’s wonder foods.
The Smiley Honey mission is to delight people every day with the goodness and variety of all-natural, raw honey. Brian invites you to come on by Smiley’s for their free honey tastings. Everyone is welcome and you might just find a new favorite!
Updated: Dec 07, 2017 23:55
Published: May 01, 2015 22:53