One of the earliest depictions of humans stealing the precious gold syrup was found on a Mesolithic rock from about 7000 BC in Valencia, Spain. The drawing was used for a stamp to honor this long tradition. The etching is that of a female gathering the honey and that may be no coincidence, when it comes to bees, the females are the ones that do all the work.
The main players in the hive are the queen bee who lays eggs and 20,000 to 40,000 female worker bees that raise the larvae and gather the nectar from the flowers. They visit hundreds of flowers until their "honey stomach" is full. They fly back to the hive where they regurgitate the nectar from the flowers and the together with the other female bees they ingest the nectar and regurgitate again until the honey is ready for the honey comb.
The newly created honey still contains about 80% water and so the dance begins. All of the females fan their wings at the same time creating a draft that evaporates the water out of the honey preventing fermentation.
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| A Puremiel honey comb ready for extraction |
Culinary Collective is pleased to import honey from both Spain and Peru.
The Spanish bees that create Puremiel's award winning honeys live in the foothills of the Sierra del Pinar mountain range in Sierra de Grazalema and Alcornocales natural parks near the Cadiz region of Andulacia, Spain.
This delicious honey is available in 5 flavors, each with its own distinct flavor profile: Holm Oak, Lavender, Eucalyptus,
Orange Blossom and Wild Forest.
Our NEW Mesquite Honey is collected from bees from the Piura region on the Northwest coast of Peru. This region contains the most equatorial tropical-dry forests in the Pacific.
Both companies we purchase from practice organic farming methods and they consist of small farmers who are working together to bring these products to our tables.
This unique honey has a caramel coloring and slightly grainy texture. It spreads beautifully and melts on the tongue. Mesquite honey makes the perfect addition to a cheese plate.
Lavender - collected from the lavender hills of southern Spain. Clear in color, with an intense sweetness and persistent floral aroma. Was chosen as a Silver Finalist in the honey and jam category for the sofi awards through the National Association of Specialty Food Retailers from among thousands of entries.
Eucalyptus - collected from eucalyptus trees grown in the alluvial plains of Guadalate in southern Spain. It has a dark color, woody scent and an intense lingering flavor with light acidic notes.
Orange Blossom - collected from the alluvial plains of the river Guadalquivir, this honey has a clear golden color, floral scent and smooth exotic, slightly acidic flavor characteristic of the orange tree.
Wild Forest - collected from one of the most treasured areas of Spain, the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Forest, a lush park in the southern region of Andalucia with the highest levels of rainfall in Spain. This dark honey is a delightful blend of sweetness and aroma.
Add honey to your shopping list this holiday season and give the gift of sweetness to all your friends. Be sure you let them know that this treasured golden sweetener is the female bee's gift to us all.
