Sweet!

[xela]

Fifteen years ago, on my first ever trip outside North America, I stayed with friends in London and tried to take in the normal life of that great city, as well as some of the iconic destinations. Of course, it being London, many of those things are one and the same: as, for instance, the Saturday when my friends Liz & Eric took me to the Portabello Road Market. Which was fantastic. One of the neighborhood shops I went into that day was the (as I learned years later) world famous Spice Shop. Where I bought a jar of honey that was a lemony color like nothing I'd ever seen, and tasted like ambrosia. I wish I'd kept the jar, or at least photographed it (this was well before ubiquitous digital cameras), but I seem to recall that what it said was Pure Sunflower Honey From Lancastershire Bees. On every subsequent trip to London, I've stopped by The Spice Shop to see if they had more; on at least two occasions I've asked the owner about it. All the honey I've had since has been disappointing.

Until now. I recently picked up a jar of Heavenly Organics "Wild Forest" Neem Honey, from India. I wish I could compare the two side-by-side, but subjectively, this is certainly the best honey I've had in more than a dozen years. (I was going to link to their web site, but that was before I looked at it myself. They're not actually claiming it has magical medical benefits — i.e. not in the same league as homeopathy or chiropracty — or I'd have felt compelled to delete this without posting. But (even though I expect I'll buy more when this runs out) I can't in good conscience actually link to them.

Comments

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Did you find it at Follow The Honey in Harvard Square?

[yakshaver.livejournal.com]

No, I didn't know there was such a place. Which I will now have to visit... :) (Though having now looked at their website, I think that visit should wait til I land a job....)

I _think_ I found it at Whole Foods.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

They are "Not Cheap".

On the other hand, they are super-generous with samples, if you are having "one of those days" and need a little self-indulgence-time.

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

The best honey I have tasted (so far) was from a monastery in Georgia (the European country, not the US state.) Tasted of apricots, not so strange since to beehives were set in a field of peach and pomegranate trees.
Surprisingly though, the honey from the roof of our University tastes pretty good too. Honey from Urban London bees! I've heard it said that Urban bees can thrive because of the lack of pesticides, (in the UK anyway.) There's lots of parks, gardens and allotments in our area so rich pickings for the University bees.