A tea purist, I often let the tea have center stage and give the cold shoulder to milk and sweeteners. However, over the past few years I've started to fall for nature's golden child, honey. Towards the end of this summer, I allowed this sweet love affair to blossom as I took a closer look at local honey and urban beekeeping.
I've dabbled with a few local honeys (especially a lavender blend from a nearby farmer's market), although it wasn't until this past July that I truly began to understand the art to and passion behind beekeeping, particularly urban beekeeping.
After learning that urban beekeeping had been legalized in NYC, I marked my calendar for The Secret Lives of (NYC) Bees at ABC Home & Carpet (hosted by the fabulous Dr. Brent Ridge of Beekman 1802). It was there that I met expert beekeeper and honey enthusiast, Andrew Cote, who has hives throughout NYC and CT, sells his honey at NY greenmarkets, is a member of NYC's Beekeeper's Association, and is the founding director of Bees Without Borders. As Andrew spoke about the wonders of honey and beekeeping, I knew that I discovered a new found love for this liquid gold that often befriended my dear cup of tea.
Tea Tip from Andrew Cote (that he shared with me at the event): Wait for your tea to cool before adding honey. Overheating honey will cause it to lose some of its nutrients.
A little over a month after the NYC honey event, I learned that Philadelphia would be hosting a honey fest in honor of National Honey Month in September. Even though I wasn't able to participate in this celebration (my Steeped In Beauty tea workshop premiered that weekend), I was able to witness the unveiling of a historical marker dedicated to Philadelphian Lorenzo L. Langstroth, The Father of American Beekeeping, and inventor of the hive that changed the future of apiculture forever. Hooray for Philadelphia & honey!
My honey adventure would serendipitously continue on its sweet path, as I found myself face-to-TV screen with Andrew Cote when he appeared on The Cooking Channel's fabulous new series, My Life in Food, and a recent segment on The Martha Stewart Show.
Intrigued and amazed by this incredible treasure from nature, I'll be exploring it a bit more and sharing new tastes and sweet tales of my adventure with local honey. Maybe a tea and local honey pairing with the fabulous Andrew Cote? Well, a tea & {new} honey enthusiast can dream...
so the real question is, do you like honey in your tea?
photo courtesy of Mindful One
I must say, I like my tea black. But reading this makes me want to try a honey option.
Posted by: PinkBow | November 2, 2010 at 04:59 PM
I highly recommend picking up a local honey and testing out a cup with a teaspoon or two. p.s. my new goal will be to purchase local honey in every new spot that I visit (might have to buy a cabinet to store the honey)
Posted by: alexis | November 2, 2010 at 10:09 PM
o my mom will love this post! lavender honey deliciousssss...beautiful blog :-)
xoxo bardot in blue
Posted by: Bardot in Blue | November 3, 2010 at 04:24 PM
happy to hear that your mom is a fan of honey! lavender honey is one of my favorite treats. have you tried lavender simple syrup?
http://teaspoonsandpetals.typepad.com/teaspoons-petals/2010/06/lavender-simple-syrup-iced-earl-grey-tea.html
Posted by: alexis | November 3, 2010 at 05:35 PM