Honey tasting at home

Charts material from *Flow Hive EU*

Set the table
Serve a variety of cheeses such as stilton, brie, Parmesan, blue cheese, goat cheese.

Select three to five honey varieties. It's good to pair each honey with one cheese. 

• We suggest from the Eat Amore portfolio: Acacia honey, Chestnut honey, Eucalyptus honey, Wildflower honey and Orange blossom honey 
• Pour some of each honey into smaller tasting jars with a lid (to protect the aroma), this will keep the tasting as objective as possible and help you to be able to compare colours.

       

Pick carefully your accompaniments
We recommend crusty bread, crackers together with fresh grapes and dried fruits.They go well with cheese and honey. Include nuts and raw vegetables, sundried tomatoes and olives for a complete selection of tastes.

Wines and bubbles
If you fancy some bubble, consider sparkling wines like Prosecco or Cava or Champagne. If you prefer something more firm, red and white wines pair well with both cheese and honeys.

Set the table
Arrange cheeses on a large wooden board. Make sure your honeys are poured into clear small bowls (or glasses) so you can see the different colors. Provide spoons or wooden sticks for the tasting.

Use tasting charts and cards
We provide below a selection of tasting charts and score cards where to record your tastings. This will give you the chance to share your personal taste with the other participants and compare.

Honey tasting score sheet for each participant
Download here your Tasting Score Sheet 

Honey Flavour Chart to assist participants to describe the smell and flavour of each honey.
Download here your Honey Flavour Chart

   

• Using the colour chart, note the honey colour
• Observe the clarity, is that light or dark? 
• State – is it liquid or is has crystalised?

Light colored honey usually has a mild flavor, while darker honey usually has a stronger flavor.
Besides the taste, the color of honey can also determine the amount of antioxidants in the honey. Darker colored honey usually has a higher concentration of antioxidants, while lighter has a lower concentration.

Has your honey cristalised? Nearly all real honey will eventually. The tiny pollen granules in the honey and sometimes other particles such as dust and resin allow the crystals to form in the super-saturated solution of sugars.

Take a good spoonful of honey and close your eyes. What do you taste? Is it sharp and sweet? Or subtle?
What’s the texture on your tongue?
Honey is sweet, but what does it remind you of? Butterscotch?
Burnt? Citrus? Flowers?... Use our Honey Flavour Chart for

Now spoon some honey on a piece of cheese and eat it together with dry fruit and maybe a cracker. The tasting experience with go to a complete different level, where different mix of flavours will delight your palate.
Share your experience with the other participants and get insights.

Don't forget to enjoy the nice glass of wine or sparkling poured next to you.
It will spice up the moment!